Nitrates are absorbed by active transport, moving from a low concentration in the soil to a high concentration in the plant root, against the concentration gradient. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria ...

Once transported, inorganic N can become a water pollutant. For example, nitrate lost in leachate or runoff may contribute to eutrophication of surface water bodies, such as the Delaware in-land bays ...

Ammonium nitrate is highly soluble in seawater and can cause eutrophication, where the accelerated growth of algae causes oxygen depletion which harms aquatic life. Ammonia is also harmful to fish ...

However, a surplus of nitrogen can also cause eutrophication and harmful algae blooms ... ammonium into nitrite (“ammonium oxidation“) and further oxidizes into nitrate (“nitrite oxidation“). Bedford ...