Graduation Year

2024

Document Type

Open Access Senior Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Politics and International Relations

Second Department

Environmental Analysis

Reader 1

Vanessa Tyson

Reader 2

Heather Williams

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Terms of Use for work posted in Scholarship@Claremont.

Rights Information

© 2023 Catherine Protiva

Abstract

Nitrate contamination is a major problem within California groundwater basins. A form of nitrogen, nitrates leach into groundwater aquifers from the surface where they remain for many decades. The most common source for the contaminant is agricultural sources like nitrogen fertilizer. Consequently, the problem is concentrated in regions of the state with a history of large-scale agricultural production. When water is pulled from contaminated basins and used as drinking water, the nitrates can cause serious negative health consequences, most commonly methemoglobinemia, also known as blue baby syndrome. In this thesis, I will examine what factors contribute to a region’s ability to successfully manage nitrate contamination issues. I completed a comparative analysis of two California counties, Santa Clara County and Tulare County. Both have a history of large-scale agriculture, but only one has been able to successfully manage nitrate contamination. Through an examination of their history, local government structures, well data, and demographics, this thesis seeks to identify what factors have created the disparity in nitrate levels between these two counties.

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