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Nitrate containing compounds in the soil are generally soluble and readily migrate with ground water.
含有硝酸鹽的物質可以在土壤中分解并且污染地下水，
Increased nitrate levels can present health risks to children.
硝酸鹽含量過高會影響兒童的身體健康
Contaminated food stuffs, prepared baby foods,
兒童飲食中一些食材受到污染
and sausage preserved with nitrates and nitrites have caused exposure in children.
以及含有亞硝酸鹽和硝酸鹽的香腸都對兒童的身體有害，
Although vegetables are seldom a source of acute toxicity,
盡管蔬菜通常并不會造成中毒，
they account for more than 70% of the nitrates in a typical human diet.
但人類飲食中70%的硝酸鹽來自于蔬菜
Cauliflower, spinach, collard greens, broccoli,
花菜，菠菜，羽衣甘藍嫩葉，花椰菜，
and root vegetables have naturally greater
以及根菜中的硝酸鹽成分
nitrate content than other plant foods do.
都要高于其他食物
The remainder of the nitrate in a typical diet comes from drinking water, about 21%,
剩下的硝酸鹽主要來自飲用水，大概占21%，
and about 6% from meat and meat products in which
還有6%來自于肉類和肉制品，因為為了保存
sodium nitrate is used as a preservative and color enhancing agent.
在它們的制作過程中用了硝酸鈉
For infants who are bottle fed,
對于奶粉喂養的嬰幼兒來說
however, the major source of nitrate exposure in drinking water is used to mix powdered milk formula.
硝酸鹽的主要來源是飲用水和配方奶粉
It appears that organic production of food results in
有機食品中的硝酸鹽含量
lower nitrate levels most likely because nitrates are
更低，這其中的原因或許是因為
not allowed in organic food production.
在有機食品生產過程中禁止使用硝酸鹽
A study conducted by Baker et al in 2002 summarized the
2002年由貝克和其他人進行的研究
results of 18 studies comparing nitrate levels of organic and conventional foods
總結了18項對比有機食物和傳統食物中硝酸鹽含量的研究，
and found 127 cases where nitrate levels were higher in conventional foods
發現其中127例中傳統食品的硝酸鹽含量高
43 cases where nitrate levels were higher in organic foods,
43例中，有機食品的硝酸鹽含量高
and 6 cases where no difference was noted.
另外6例中，兩者的硝酸鹽含量相當
The Baker study demonstrates that organically
貝克的研究表明，有機食物中的硝酸鹽
produced foods have lower detectable nitrate levels
含量較低，由于有機食品生產過程中
which is not surprising given that nitrates aren't used in conventional farming.
禁用硝酸鹽，這一點不足為奇
Now let's look at the issue of nitrate in drinking water,
下面我們來看看飲用水中的硝酸鹽含量
and what this means to you.
這對你來說意味著什么
The major sources of nitrates in drinking water are runoff from fertilizer use,
飲用水中硝酸鹽的主要來源是化肥的殘留，
leaching from septic tanks or sewage, and erosion of natural deposits.
主要來自于化糞池和污水管道，還有自然沉積
In 1974, Congress passed the Safe Drinking Water Act.
1974年，國會通過了飲用水安全法案
This law requires the EPA to determine the level of
法律規定，環保局應當決定飲用水中
contaminates in drinking water at which no adverse health affects are likely to occur.
污染物的含量上限，以保證不會對人體造成傷害，
The EPA has set an enforceable regulation for nitrate called a
環保局發布了強制性的監管條例，規定污染物的最高含量
maximum contaminant level or MCL at
這個最高含量標準也叫MCL
10 milligrams per liter, or 10 parts per million.
它的值為每升10毫克
MCL's are set by considering cost, benefits,
MCL的制定過程考慮到了公共供水系統
and the ability of public water systems to detect and
利用合適的處理技術對污染物
remove contaminants using suitable treatment technologies.
進行檢測和去除過程中的成本，能力和利潤，
