Work

Nitrate and Bacterial Loads in Dairy Cattle Drinking Water and Potential Treatment Options for Pollutants—A Review

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: The impacts of dairy farm manure production on the environment and surrounding ecosystems in terms of greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication are frequently studied and discussed, but the implications for the dairy cattle themselves that drink water predominantly sourced from surrounding groundwater commonly polluted with nitrates and bacteria from manure and surrounding crop fertilization applications are not often prioritized. This study reviews and synthesizes relevant literature connecting groundwater pollution—in terms of nitrates and bacteria—as it relates to water quality for dairy cattle consumption and the health and milk production implications and outlines pre-existing treatment and prevention options for nitrates and bacteria in conventional applications as well and the status of treatment options for dairy cattle drinking water specifically. After evaluating potential treatment options, point-of-use filtration is identified as a possible low-cost and customizable treatment option for treating dairy cattle drinking water with advantages, potential disadvantages, and filtration media options discussed. Additionally, the need for further research and testing to determine the capacity in field-scale applications is identified.

Source: Applied Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/app15063017

Authors: Ceilidh Douglas, Pramod Pandey

Institution: University of California, Davis

Language: English

Topic: Water Treatment and Disinfection

Subfield: Health, Toxicology and Mutagenesis

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Clean water and sanitation, Zero hunger, Responsible consumption and production

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,896