ESF conference in partnership with LFUI... Gln also carries ammonia in the blood to the liver ... concentration (mg/l) 0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 ... NH3-25% Comb, nh3 -0% Comb,

1 20-10-2006

ESF conference in partnership with LFUI

2 20-10-2006

Objectives and aims

• ‘A conference at the forefront of scientific developments in an area where scientific interdisciplinary progress is needed’

• Aim for a set of papers for a peer reviewed journal to provide the state of knowledge, gaps and ways to make progress.

• Plenary presentations, discussions, posters and informal exchange of ideas both inside and outside the lecture room will be encourage to reach the targets.

3 20-10-2006

Conference issues

• Program:• Posters• Papers: Environmental

Pollution (150)• Deadline: December 15

(electronic system)• Guest editors: Mark

Sutton, Peringe Grennfeltand me

• Availability of presentations

www.ecn.nl

Reduced forms of Nitrogen in Ecology and the Environment

Jan Willem Erisman

5 20-10-2006

Outline of presentation

• The earth system• Reduced nitrogen in ecology• Industrial production• Environment• N management• Discussion items

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Our milky way with a developing solar system ( )

First atmosphere: H2, He

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The earth began as a gas bulb, which slowly cooled down, which is still going on. Through this process the earth is shrinking.

The chemical climate of the earth startedwith gases from volcanic eruptions

Second atmosphere: H2O, CO2, SO2, CO, N2, CH4 and NH3

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Ammonia cloud on Jupiter

NASA, GalileoJune 26, 1996

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When O2 increased the reducing conditions disappeared: photosynthesis

Gas VolumeNitrogen (N2) 780,840 ppmv (78.084%)Oxygen (O2) 209,460 ppmv (20.946%)Argon (Ar) 9,340 ppmv (0.9340%)Carbon dioxide (CO2) 381 ppmvNeon (Ne) 18.18 ppmvHelium (He) 5.24 ppmvMethane (CH4) 1.745 ppmvKrypton (Kr) 1.14 ppmvHydrogen (H2) 0.55 ppmv

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Reduced nitrogen in nature• Ammonia and ammonium salts• The major amines in both air and rain are trimethylamine and

methylamine, but dimethylamine, diethylamine and triethylamine.• Life sustained by amino acids

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Key issues: life and production

World production (2004): 142 Millions MT/year

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All organisms depend on NH3

• Insufficient protein in the diet may prevent the body from producing adequate levels of peptide hormones and structural proteins to sustain normal bodily functions

……... too little …….. too much

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Nitrogen cycles between oxidized & reduced forms in the biosphere

degradation(animals & microorganisms)

synthesis(microorganisms, plants & animals)

amino acids & other organic compounds

(Rhizobium & some other bacteria)

(anaerobic bacteria)

nitrification(Nitrobacter & other soil bacteria)

nitrification

(Nitrosomonas & other soil bacteria)

NO2-

nitrite

nitrogen fixation

denitrification

nitrate NH4+ ammonium N2

reduction(plants & some anaerobic bacteria)

NO3-

more oxidized more reduced

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Nodules on the roots of leguminous plants fix N2via bacteria containing nitrogenase

bacteroids(rod-like bacteria)

plant cell nucleus

Lehninger

Nitrogenase from Azobacter vinelandii

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glycine

alanine

tryptophan

histidine

glucosamine-6-P

carbamoyl-phosphate

CTP AMP

Glutamine serves as a donor of amine groups for synthesis of many other molecules

In most terrestrial animals, Gln also carries ammonia in the blood to the liver & kidneys for excretion as urea.

Glu

NH4+ + ATP ADP + Pi

H2OGln

OC-NH2

CO2-

+H3N-C-H

CH2

CH2

α-keto-glutarate(1) glutamate dehydrogenase

(2) glutamine synthetaseoccurs in all organisms.

(3) occurs in plants & bacteria, but not animals

2

CO2-

CO2-

O=C

CH2

CH2

CO2-

CO2-

+H3N-C-H

CH2

CH2Glu

3

CO2-

CO2-

O=C

CH2

CH2

CO2-

CO2-

+H3N-C-H

CH2

CH2

α-keto-glutarate

NADH NAD+

NH4+

1

Ammonia is incorporated into many biological molecules through glutamine and glutamate

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NH3 Creation by Nature and Humans

• Since 1960:- Flows of biologically

available nitrogen in terrestrial ecosystems doubled

- > 50% of all the synthetic nitrogen fertilizer ever used has been used since 1985

• Humans produce as much biologically available N as all natural pathways and this may grow a further 65% by 2050

Human-produced Reactive Nitrogen

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Historical development Closed nutrient cycles

Increased production

Fertilizer

Intensive livestockbreeding

Manure = food

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Intensification of agriculture

Nitrogen Cycle

Manure

Animals

Crops

Soil

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N Fertilizer Produced

100

The fate of fertilizer Nitrogen

Galloway JN and Cowling EB. 2002

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N Fertilizer Produced

100

NConsumed

14

The fate of fertilizer Nitrogen

14% of the N produced in the Haber-Bosch process enters thehuman mouth……….

Galloway JN and Cowling EB. 2002

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N Fertilizer Produced

N Fertilizer Consumed

-6 -47

100

N in Crop

N Harvested

Nin Food

NConsumed

-12

144794 31 26

-5

The fate of fertilizer Nitrogen

-16

14% of the N produced in the Haber-Bosch process enters thehuman mouth……….if you are a vegetarian.

Galloway JN and Cowling EB. 2002

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N Fertilizer Produced

N Fertilizer Applied

-6 -47

100

N in Crop

N In Feed

Nin Store

NConsumed

-3

44794 31 7

-24

The fate of fertilizer Nitrogen

-16

4% of the N produced in the Haber-Bosch process and usedfor animal production enters the human mouth.

Galloway JN and Cowling EB. 2002

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Industrial production of NH3

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Production volume and price

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Ammonia products

ExplosivesAquarium test kid

Fibers

Household application

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Industrial ammoniaAmmonia levels Health effects

– 5ppm Olfactory detection

– 20-25ppm Eye irritation

– ~ 1,500ppm Cough and froth at the mouth

– 5,000ppm Deadly

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Nitrogen excess

N2

Manure

Fertilizerindustry

Combustion

Sources

Nitrate

NitrateAmmonium-

NH4

Chemical/physical interactions

Materialsand culturalheritage

Human and animal health

Climate changeGHG interactions

Ecosystemsand

biodiversity

Effects

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Ammonia in the atmosphere

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Paleo records and wet deposition of ammonium

0

50

100

150

200

1840 1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000Dating

NH

4

East Rongbuk Glacier, Mt. Everest, Chemistry and Stable Isotope Data Hou Shugui, et al., 2003

00,20,40,60,8

11,21,41,61,8

2

1860 1880 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000Year

NH

4co

ncen

tratio

n (m

g/l)

050100150200250300350400450500

Amm

onia

em

issi

on (k

ton/

y)

WitteveenGroningenAmmonia emission

Netherlands

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Deposition maps of Europe

Reduced nitrogen (NHx) Oxidised nitrogen (NOx)1 – 20 kg/ha 1 – 20 kg/ha

Source: EMEP

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Effects on the environment

• Human health: PM, NOx/O3, NO3 drinking water, plagues, pests and diseases

• Ecosystems: direct effects, plagues, pests and diseases, loss of biodiversity, plant/forest vitality, ecosystem functioning

• (Ground)water pollution• Eutrophication: Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Zone.• Global warming (N2O) and cooling (aerosols)• GHG interactions affecting sinks • Reduces visibility (haze);

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Radiative forcing and Nitrogen

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0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Basis So2-25%

NOx-25%

NH3-25%

Comb,nh3 -0%

Comb,nh3 -25%

Comb,nh3 -50%

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

Basis So2-25%

NOx-25%

NH3-25%

Comb,nh3 -0%

Comb,nh3 -25%

Comb,nh3 -50%

NO3NH4SO4

Germany Southern Sweden

Effect of NH3 reductions on secondary PM

Agriculture and PM

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Regulator for other processes, e.g. co-deposition between SO2 and NH3

020406080

100120140160180

Speulder forest Melpitz Auchencorth

Rc

(s/m

)

00.10.20.30.40.50.60.70.80.9

NH

4/(S

O4+

NO

3)

Rc NH3 Rc SO2 NH4/(SO4+NO3)

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Park Grass experiment, Rothamsted since 1856

Effects: biodiversity

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Effects of reactive nitrogen in the environment

Overall effects

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Hours days Weeks months years decades centuries

materialsclimate change

Vegetation changessoil processes

forest ecosystem health

soil nutrient reserves

Carbon sequestration

air concentrationsvisibility

Depositionhealth (acute) health (chronic)

aquatic (episodic) aquatic (chronic)plant responses

Cascade effect of reactive nitrogen (excess)

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Effective measures

0

0,5

1

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

Time

Econ

omic

s/so

cial

acc

epta

nce

Increase Neffthroughmanagement andeducation

Close nutrient cycles atDifferent scales (ERTechnology)

Sensor basedPrecisionagriculture

Spatial optimizationIndustrializedMeat production

Gene modification

Transition tosustainableagriculture

40 20-10-2006

New items for reduced nitrogen

• Increasing demand of fertilizer: food, biofuels• NH3 as a transport fuel?

Ammonia fuelled car, Rjukan 1933