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2 - The European nitrogen problem in a global perspective

from Part I - Nitrogen in Europe: the present position

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2011

By
Jan Willem Erisman ,
Hans van Grinsven ,
Bruna Grizzetti ,
Fayçal Bouraoui ,
David Powlson ,
Mark A. Sutton ,
Albert Bleeker  and
Stefan Reis
Edited by
Mark A. Sutton ,
Clare M. Howard ,
Jan Willem Erisman ,
Gilles Billen ,
Albert Bleeker ,
Peringe Grennfelt ,
Hans van Grinsven  and
Bruna Grizzetti
Jan Willem Erisman
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Fayçal Bouraoui
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
David Powlson
Affiliation:
Rothamsted Research
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Albert Bleeker
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Stefan Reis
Affiliation:
Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Clare M. Howard
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Jan Willem Erisman
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
CNRS and University of Paris VI
Albert Bleeker
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Peringe Grennfelt
Affiliation:
Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
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Summary

Executive summary

Nature of the problem

  • Reactive nitrogen has both positive and negative effects on ecosystems and human health. Reactive nitrogen is formed through the use of fossil fuels releasing large amounts of nitrogen oxides into the atmosphere and through the production of ammonia by the Haber–Bosch process and using it in agriculture to increase our food, feed and fuel production. While the use of nitrogen as a fertilizer and chemical product has brought enormous benefits, losses of fertilizer nitrogen and combustion nitrogen to the environment lead to many side effects on human health, ecosystem health, biodiversity and climate.

Approaches

  • The European nitrogen problem is placed in a global perspective, showing the European nitrogen fixation, transport and environmental impacts compared with different regions of the globe.

Key findings/state of knowledge

  • Humans, largely through agriculture, but also through burning of fossil fuels, have had a huge impact on the nitrogen budget of the Earth. Europe is one of the leading producers of reactive nitrogen, but it is also the first region in the world where the issue was recognized and in some parts of Europe the reactive nitrogen losses to the environment started to decrease. Europe is a nitrogen hotspot in the world with high nitrogen export through rivers to the coast, NOx and particulate matter concentrations and 10% of the global N2O emissions.

  • […]

Type
Chapter
Information
The European Nitrogen Assessment
Sources, Effects and Policy Perspectives
 , pp. 9 - 31
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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