NEWS US report raises San Diego research body put fears over nitrate levels in water under microscope on costs Washington. The concentration of nitrates San Diego. Officials at the University of whether UCSD faculty members used uni­ in drinking water in agricultural areas of the California at San Diego (UCSD) are investi­ versity facilities in any of the 25 to 30 clinical United States often exceeds safety standards gating how a private foundation partially trials conducted annually by MERF, and is increasing steadily, according to an controlled by faculty members from the whether MERF paid UCSD faculty or staff extensive study carried out by the United School of Medicine spends an annual for work performed on university time, and $7.2 million that it receives for research States Geological Survey (USGS). whether MERF has retained funds intended and education. The study made use of 34,000 water sam­ forUCSD. ples, and is described by the USGS as the The inquiry has been going on for almost John Woods, a vice-chancellor at UCSD, most extensive ever undertaken in the Unit­ a year because the foundation has refused to said all other incorporated foundations and ed States. It found that 9 per cent of all open its books to university auditors. The support groups at the medical school have domestic water wells, and 21 per cent of latter have been checking such foundations cooperated with university auditors. "We are samples taken from shallow wells beneath at other campuses of the University of Cali­ trying...