Nitrate in the yard and garden

What is nitrate?

The IUPAC name is nitrate ion.

Also known as: nitrate ion, Nitrates, Nitrate(1-), trioxonitrate(1-).

IUPAC name

nitrate ion

CAS number

14797-55-8

Molecular formula

NO3-

Molecular weight

62.00 g/mol

SMILES

[N+](=O)([O-])[O-]

PubChem CID

943

Regulatory consensus

3 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Nitrate. The classifications differ — that's the data.

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where your yard encounter nitrate

• drinking water
• groundwater
• agricultural run-off
• fertilizer contamination
• septic systems

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Nitrate:

• Celery powder / cultured celery extract
  Trade-offs: Contains natural nitrate which converts to nitrite; still forms nitrosamines but at lower levels. Labeling as 'uncured' is misleading.
  Relative cost: 1.5-2× conventional sodium nitrate
• Rosemary extract + cherry powder
  Trade-offs: Weaker antimicrobial action against C. botulinum. May alter flavor profile. Less consistent color.
  Relative cost: 2-3× conventional

Frequently asked questions