Nitrates in Drinking Water

Nitrate poisoning in livestock is a recurring problem. In ruminants the bacteria are able to convert nitrates (NO3) to nitrites (NO2) in the gastrointestinal tract. If nitrite is present in large amounts it converts hemoglobin to methemoglobin, which has little or no oxygen- carrying capacity. The result in severe cases is asphyxiation. It is not known what effects nitrates may have on swine. Nitrate levels as high as 700 parts per million (ppm ) have been found in water samples from South Dakota. The probable ways nitrates get into drinking water are by natural means and pollution. The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects these nitrates in the drinking water have on the performance of growing-finishing pigs