According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) research, humans presently contribute more than twice as much reactive nitrogen (150 teragrams, or Tg) to the Earth’s land surface each year as they did before the industrial revolution. Climate change could quadruple nitrogen pollution by 2100, with this contribution potentially rising to 600 Tg annually. This increase is driven by climate change, which intensifies nitrogen losses in the environment.
According to the paper, manure emissions, land-use changes, synthetic fertilizers, and livestock are the primary causes, contributing one-third of emissions. The quality of air, water, soil, biodiversity, and climatic stability are all seriously threatened by global nitrogen fluxes, which have already crossed planetary boundaries.
Nitrogen Use Efficiency Trends and Regional Variations
The ratio of nitrogen recovered in output to total intake, or nitrogen utilization efficiency (NUE), has varied greatly. In the 1980s, NUE fell from 56% in 1961 to 40% globally, although it rose back to 56% in 2022. Regional differences were noted: NUE in Southeast Asia increased to 54% in 2022 after falling from 65% in 1961 to 45% in the 1990s. In North America, the percentage dropped from 65% in 1961 to less than 50% in the 1980s before rising to 69% in 2022. NUE varies by crop as well; in 2010, soybeans had a NUE of 80%, while fruits and vegetables had a NUE of only 14%.
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Recommendations for Mitigating Nitrogen Pollution
Action to reduce nitrogen pollution must be taken immediately, according to the FAO report. Climate change could quadruple nitrogen pollution, further escalating environmental challenges and making urgent measures even more critical. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions during the manufacturing of nitrogen fertilizer, avoiding waste during application and storage, and encouraging biological nitrogen fixation through legumes like soybeans are some of the recommendations.
Governments should support the use of organic fertilizers, transfer animals from high-density regions, and promote improved waste management techniques. In order to achieve biodiversity targets and keep global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, it was also suggested that sustainable nitrogen management be incorporated into national climate plans, such as those outlined in the Paris Agreement.
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