Nitrate removal from ground water

In the new E.C. directive relating to the quality of water intended for human consumption the maximum admissable concentration of nitrate in drinking water is decreased from 22.6 mg N03 --N/l to 11.3 mg N03 --N/l. The guide level is 5.6 mg N03 --N/l (1). At the same time, in many European countries an increasing nitrate concentration in ground water is observed. High nitrate concentrations in ground water are a consequence of fertilizer activities in agriculture. Both artificial fertilizers and animal manure cause nitrate problems (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7).