Human activities, industrial processes, and intensive farming have all contributed to major nitrate contamination of surface and groundwater systems. This contamination threatens both public and environmental health. This study investigates the background, current situation, and potential health risks associated with nitrate contamination. Fertilizers, industrial effluent, animal waste, air deposition, geological weathering, and other natural and man-made sources are all significant contributions. Elevated nitrate levels have been linked to two serious health problems: methemoglobinemia and cancer. Many people are concerned about environmental issues, including eutrophication and biodiversity loss. Using worldwide pollution trends, this study identifies regions where nitrate levels exceed the legal limit. Besides ion exchange and new nanoparticle-based technologies, other cutting-edge ways to clean up pollution are reverse osmosis, chemical and biological denitrification, and others. A study on how temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and microbial activity affect nitrate removal concluded that long-term planning is required to deal with nitrate-polluted water sources.