Researcher: Nitrate exposure a growing public health concern

UNMC scientist says farmers not to blame, urges private well testing as studies examine possible connections to cancer

  • Dr. Jesse Bell, a professor of water, climate and health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shared his research and views on studies involving the presence and impact of nitrates in the state’s drinking water supply at the Grain Place Foundation’s Field Day on July 18.
    Dr. Jesse Bell, a professor of water, climate and health at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, shared his research and views on studies involving the presence and impact of nitrates in the state’s drinking water supply at the Grain Place Foundation’s Field Day on July 18.

    Concerns about nitrate contamination in Nebraska’s groundwater extend well beyond drinking water quality, reaching into questions about infant health, cancer research and the long-term health of rural communities, according to University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Dr. Jesse Bell.Speaking July 18 at the Grain Place Foundation’s Field Day in Aurora, Bell said scientific studies have ident…