What effect does boiling nitrate-contaminated water have on nitrate levels?

Boiling nitrate-contaminated water primarily concentrates nitrates rather than eliminating them. Nitrates are inorganic compounds that do not evaporate at boiling temperatures, unlike some organic contaminants or bacteria that can be killed or removed through boiling.

During the boiling process, water is lost as steam, which reduces the overall volume of water but leaves the nitrates dissolved in the remaining water. Therefore, as the water volume decreases, the concentration of nitrates increases.

This understanding is critical in environmental health as it highlights the importance of using appropriate methods for removing nitrates from drinking water rather than relying on boiling, which could inadvertently worsen the contamination by increasing the concentration of these harmful substances.