Nitrates in water
Sometimes the most important conversations are the ones no one particularly wants to have.
University of Nebraska Medical Center researcher Dr. Jesse Bell brought one of those conversations to Aurora last week.
His message was not that nitrates cause cancer. In fact, he repeatedly cautioned against making that conclusion. The science, he emphasized, shows associations, not proof of causation. Researchers continue to study whether elevated nitrate levels in drinking water contribute to certain cancers and other health concerns, but many questions remain unanswered.
That distinction matters.
In today’s world, it is tempting to hear only the part that supports our own point of view. Some will dismiss the research because it has not proven cause and effect. Others will hear the word “cancer” and immediately assume the worst. Neither response serves Nebraska well.
What Bell offered instead was something far more valuable: an honest assessment of what researchers know, what they don’t know, and what should happen next.
Perhaps the most refreshing part of his presentation was what he didn’t do. He didn’t point fingers at Nebraska farmers.
“This is not because of farmers,” he told the audience.
That deserves repeating.
The agricultural practices that produced today’s groundwater conditions developed over generations, long before many of these potential health associations were understood. Today’s producers inherited both the land and its challenges. Increasingly, many are investing time and money into practices designed to improve soil health and protect water quality. Those efforts deserve encouragement rather than condemnation.
Bell even called those willing to make changes “heroes.” That perspective should guide this discussion.
Nebraska is uniquely vulnerable because roughly 85 percent of our homes depend on groundwater, and hundreds of thousands of residents rely on private wells that are not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act. For those families, the first step isn’t fear. It’s information.
Test the well!
Know what’s in the water!
Make informed decisions!
Those are practical responses that don’t require waiting years for additional research.
Bell also challenged universities, health professionals, Natural Resources Districts, local governments and agricultural organizations to work together. If nitrate contamination truly is one of Nebraska’s most significant environmental challenges, it will not be solved by one group acting alone. It will require partnerships, continued research, public education and a willingness to adapt as new information becomes available.
Nebraska has an opportunity to become a national leader in understanding groundwater quality while demonstrating that agriculture and environmental stewardship can work hand in hand rather than against one another.
That will require honesty, patience and cooperation. Most of all, it will require the courage to keep asking hard questions, even when the answers are still unfolding.
-- Kurt Johnson