… The fertilizers and pesticides that farmers use leave nitrogen and phosphorus in their fields. Rain or snowmelt then carries the chemicals into drinking water, which is dangerous. Ingesting too many nitrates can cause health issues like cancer or blue baby syndrome, low oxygen levels in infants. As Earth warms due to human-caused climate change, the ground isn’t staying frozen as consistently in many places, and snow is often melting or falling as rain on thawed ground. … Nitrate pollution is a big problem for low-income, rural residents across the United States, said Samuel Sandoval Solis, a professor at the University of California-Davis and an extension specialist in water resources management.

Other pollution news:

• The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint: California updates pollution mapping tool to identify communities most at risk​​