Reactive Nitrogen in the Environment: Too Much Or Too Little of a Good ThingElizabeth Braun, United Nations Environment Programme. Division of Technology, Industry, and Economics, Woods Hole Research Center (Woods Hole, Mass.) UNEP/Earthprint, 2007 - 51 pages About 40% of the human population depends upon food production made possible by synthetic nitrogen fertilizers. Combustion of fossil fuels adds more reactive nitrogen to air, water and soil. This distortion of the global nitrogen cycle, while raising agricultural yields, causes degradation of water and air quality, biodiversity, ecosystem services and human health. This review examines the impacts of reactive nitrogen on the environment, human health and economies from local to global scales. Publishing Agency: United Nations Environment Programme. |
Contents
Executive summary | 5 |
Addressing effects of reactive nitrogen in the environment | 21 |
Nitrogen excesses in North America | 35 |
Common terms and phrases
achieve acid action activities addition Africa agricultural air pollution America amount animal applied areas assessment associated atmosphere Baltic Sea bodies causing challenges Chesapeake Bay coastal communities concentrations concerns consequences contribute Convention cooperation costs countries created crop damage deficiencies deposition drinking water economic ecosystem effects efforts emissions energy environment environmental estimates eutrophication example excess reactive nitrogen factors fertilizer FIGURE forms fuel further gases global goals governments Haber-Bosch process human health impacts implementation improve increased industrial initiatives inputs integrated issues known lack land levels limited major marine measures million monitoring natural nearly nitrate nitrogen cascade nutrient oxide ozone percent plants population problems production Programme Protection Protocol reduce regarding regional release responses resulting sector sewage soil sources specific stakeholders Sustainable traded Transboundary transport treatment understanding UNEP wastewater
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