Removal of Nitrates from drinking water

Nitrates are naturally present as a key constituent of the Nitrogen cycle.
They are mainly used as inorganic fertilisers in farming.
Groundwater can be easily contaminated by an excess of fertilisers and by animal manure, as a consequence of ammonia oxidation.
The main problems posed by nitrates and affecting human health concern the reactions they have with blood and that can lead to cyanosis and asphyxia, especially in babies.

The removal of nitrites in the groundwater used, depending on use, involves:

• Strong anionic resins;

• Reverse osmosis.

This second of these technologies has been used by Idroconsult to provide systems in food processing companies for producing water with a lower content of nitrates than the limit required by the applicable laws.
These systems feature automatic mixing to maintain the value at a set limit.