Given below are two statements:

Statement I: Chemical fertilizers can cause nitrate pollution in water.

Statement II: Nitrate pollution in drinking water generally affects children more than the adults.

In light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below: 

The correct answer is  Both Statements I and Statement II are correct.

Important Points 

Statement I: Chemical fertilizers can cause nitrate pollution in water.

• Because chemical fertilizers contain high levels of nitrates which can leach into the ground and water bodies,
• Causing nitrate pollution. This pollution can lead to health problems in humans and animals.

Hence, Statement I is correct

Statement II: Nitrate pollution in drinking water generally affects children more than the adults.

• Because nitrate pollution in drinking water can affect infants and young children more than adults.
• This is because nitrate can interfere with the ability of the blood to carry oxygen, which can cause a condition called methemoglobinemia or "
• Blue baby syndrome, also known as infant methemoglobinemia.
• This occurs due to a decreased amount of hemoglobin in the baby’s blood. 
• It is a condition where a baby's skin turns blue.
• This happens when there is not enough oxygen in the blood.
• Methemoglobinemia is a condition that some babies are born with (congenital) or some develop early in life (acquired).
• Methemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that has been oxidized, changing its hemoglobin iron configuration from the ferrous (Fe2+) to the ferric (Fe3+) state.
• Unlike normal hemoglobin, methemoglobin does not bind oxygen and as a result, cannot deliver oxygen to the tissues.
• This condition is most commonly seen in infants under 6 months of age.

​Statement II is also correct

Therefore, both statements are correct and the correct answer is option 1.

Key Points 

• Agricultural runoff contains dissolved salts such as nitrates, phosphates, ammonia, and other nutrients, and toxic metal ions and organic compounds.
• Fertilizers contain major plant nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
• Excess fertilizers may reach the groundwater by leaching or may be mixed with surface water.
• Pesticides include insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, etc. They contain a wide range of chemicals such as chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs. E.g. DDT, Endosulfan, etc.), organophosphates, metallic salts, carbonates, etc.
• Many pesticides are non-degradable, and their residues have a long life.
• Wastes from poultry farms, piggeries, slaughterhouses, etc. reach the water through runoff.