Water Nitrate
Benchmark Value
Scoring Curve
The scoring engine could not generate a curve for this benchmark context. The primary form is Point, but the benchmark data may be missing required fields (e.g., optimal range bounds for an OptimalRange benchmark). This is typically a data quality issue in the benchmark pipeline.
Contributing Benchmarks
Evidence & Context
The median concentration of Oxidised Nitrogen (NOx-N) from pristine northern Australian systems, reported as 0.019 mg/L N, stands out as a strong candidate for the reference value.
Concentration of Oxidised Nitrogen (NOx-N) in water, predominantly nitrate and nitrite nitrogen.
This benchmark represents the typical concentration of oxidised nitrogen in water from pristine northern Australian tropical monsoonal savanna systems, reflecting near-natural water quality under best-practice grazing.
This value reflects the naturally oligotrophic state of these environments and assumes that best-practice grazing minimizes nutrient export to achieve near-pristine water quality.
Sources (1)
Sediments and nutrients in north Queensland tropical streams: changes with agricultural development and pristine condition status (Technical Report No. 62, Australian Rainforest CRC, 2006)
View SourceSupporting Sources (3)
Additional references from the underlying research that informed this benchmark.
Water Quality objectives for the region - Department of Lands, Planning and Environment
View Source
The impact of nitrate pollution in waterways on freshwater species, accessed July 24, 2025,
View SourceWater Quality objectives for the region - Department of Lands, Planning and Environment
View Source