According to the Toxics Release Inventory, releases to water and land totalled over 112 million pounds from 1991 through 1993. The largest releases of inorganic nitrates occurred in Georgia and California. Due to its high solubility and weak retention by soil, nitrates are very mobile in soil, moving at approximately the same rate as water, and has a high potential to migrate to ground water. Ammonium nitrate will be taken up by bacteria. Nitrate is more persistent in water than the ammonium ion.
Nitrate degradation is fastest in anaerobic conditions.
Potnit, Hitec, Niter, Nitrate of potash, Saltpeter.