The Albemarle-Pamlico Drainage Study Unit is one of 20 National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) studies begun in 1991 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to assess the Nation's water quality. This report presents findings on nitrate and related constituents from studies conducted between 1991 and 1995 by the USGS's Albemarle-Pamlico NAWQA and the North Carolina Division of Water Quality (NCDWQ). The purpose of this Fact Sheet is to show the distribution of nitrate-nitrogen concentrations in shallow ground water of the Coastal Plain and present some factors which may affect its occurrence.