Nitrogen in the Nation’S Rain
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NITROGEN IN THE NATION’S RAIN NATIONAL ATMOSPHERIC DEPOSITION PROGRAM HOW TO OBTAIN NADP DATA Data products are available from the National Atmospheric Deposition Program (NADP) free of charge. The easiest way to obtain data is by visiting our Internet site at http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu Our products include: • Weekly and daily precipitation chemistry data • Monthly, seasonal, and annual precipitation-weighted mean concentrations • Annual and seasonal deposition totals • Mercury deposition data • Daily precipitation totals • Color isopleth maps of precipitation concentrations and wet deposition • Site photos and information • Quality assurance data and other information For further information, contact: NADP Program Office Illinois State Water Survey 2204 Griffith Drive Champaign, Illinois 61820 E-mail: [email protected] CREDITS Contributors: Ellen Porter, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Kathy Tonnessen, National Park Service; John Sherwell, Maryland Department of Natural Resources; and Richard Grant, Department of Agronomy, Purdue University Editors: Eva Kingston, Van Bowersox, and Gayle Zorrilla Designer: Wheeler Arts Photography: All uncredited photos are copyrighted by Nova Development Corporation and its licensors. Computer Support: Bob Larson and Linda Hascall 4M—2000—99-2975 NADP Brochure 2000-01c (revised) 2M—05-02—02-1802—ek NITROGEN IN THE NATION’S RAIN Nitrogen is essential for all living activities rival or exceed contributions things. Nearly 98% of the world’s nitro- from natural sources for many of these gen is found in the solid earth within the trace compounds. chemical structure of rock, soil, and sedi- Atmospheric nitrogen compounds ment. The remainder moves in a dynamic cycle to the land and water through cycle involving the atmosphere, oceans, atmospheric deposition. Wet deposition, lakes, streams, plants, and animals. Small predominantly rain and snow, carries amounts of the nitrogen in soil and sedi- nitrate and ammonium. Dry deposition ment also enter this complex cycle. involves complex interactions between Molecular nitrogen (N2) is a colorless airborne nitrogen compounds and plant, odorless gas that comprises 78% of our water, soil, rock, or building surfaces. atmosphere. Nearly 8 metric tons of Key issues for scientists, policy- nitrogen sit atop every square meter of makers, and the public are the extent to the earth’s surface. Molecular nitrogen which human activities are affecting the is stable and converting it to other form and amount of nitrogen in the air, chemical compounds requires consider- the deposition of nitrogen compounds able energy. A lightning bolt provides from the air, and nitrogen cycling in sufficient energy to do the job, causing the environment. some nitrogen and oxygen in the air to form nitrogen oxides. Photosynthetic energy in plants and chemical energy in soil microorganisms also can convert nitrogen to other chemical forms. All of these natural processes occur in the cycling of nitrogen in our environment. In addition to molecular nitrogen, trace amounts of nitrogen oxides, nitric acid vapor, gaseous ammonia, particu- late nitrate and ammonium compounds, and organic nitrogen circulate through the atmosphere. In the United States, nitrogen contributions from human Nitrogen in the Nation’s Rain 1 Sources Transport / Transformation Removal Photochemistry Chemical Transformations Prevailing Winds Lightning Cloud Processes Dispersion Vertical Agriculture Industry Mixing Fire Transportation Dry Wet Deposition Deposition Visibility Sewage Runoff Plants Forest Productivity Estuaries Effects Drinking Water Cultural Resources Soils Soils Aquatic Ground Water Ecosystem Agricultural Products Human Health Atmospheric nitrogen pathways. Source: Adapted from National Science and Technology Council Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Air Quality Research Subcommittee, 1999. dred meters of the original nitrogen hich Human Activities oxide source or after the pollutants have W been carried several hundred kilometers Contribute Nitrogen? downwind — perhaps crossing state or Combustion provides high tempera- national borders. Ultimately, some nitro- tures in which nitrogen can be oxidized gen oxides are converted to nitric acid to form nitrogen oxides. It’s not surpris- vapor or particulate nitrates. Precipita- ing, then, that emissions from motor tion efficiently removes both pollutants vehicles, electric utilities, and industrial boilers are the largest sources of atmos- pheric nitrogen oxides in the United 1.2 States. Human activities now account 1.0 for more than 90% of U.S. nitrogen 0.8 Nitrate oxide emissions. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, nitro- 0.6 gen oxide emissions fluctuated between 0.4 20 and 23 million metric tons since 1972, which is double the 1950 value. milligrams per liter 0.2 Atmospheric chemical reactions that 0 occur when sunlight is present strongly Samoa Hawaii Alaska Eastern U.S. link nitrogen oxides and other trace Nitrate content of precipitation gases with formation of ozone. Depend- in remote and highly populated locations ing on atmospheric conditions, these Source: National Atmospheric Deposition Program National Trends Network reactions can occur within several hun- (after J.N. Galloway, G.E. Likens, and M.E. Hawley, 1984. Science 226:829). Nitrogen in the Nation’s Rain 2 from the air. As a consequence, nitrates nitrate could be viewed as another in precipitation tend to be highest where source of fertilizer for agricultural crops the air is most polluted with nitrogen (see sidebar on agriculture). It can also oxides. These areas are likely to have be an unwanted input of fertilizer to sen- high population densities, numerous sitive ecosystems. motor vehicles, and many power plants The U.S. map below shows the total or industrial boilers. inorganic nitrogen deposited in precipi- Ammonia and ammonium are other tation in 1998. Total inorganic nitrogen forms in which nitrogen occurs. Ammo- includes the nitrogen from nitrate nia is a gas that becomes ammonium ammonium. Wet inorganic nitrogen when dissolved in water or when pre- deposition was highest in the intensely sent in soils or airborne particles. Unlike cultivated upper Midwest. Parts of eight nitrogen oxides that form during com- states from eastern Nebraska to western bustion, soil microorganisms naturally Ohio received 7 kilograms per hectare form ammonia and ammonium, com- (6.2 pounds per acre) or higher. One- pounds of nitrogen and hydrogen. Other half to three-quarters of the total inor- processes also form these compounds. ganic nitrogen deposited in this area is Today, farmers apply millions of tons from ammonium deposition, which of nitrogen fertilizers to the soil. The peaks in this same area. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency A U.S. Environmental Protection estimates that half a million metric tons Agency map shows that atmospheric of ammonia were emitted to the atmos- ammonia emissions also peak there. phere from fertilizer applications alone Ammonium-nitrogen dominates the in 1997. More than three times as much total inorganic nitrogen deposition in the was emitted from livestock waste upper Midwest, while nitrate-nitrogen (manure and urine). These two sources generally dominates in the Northeast. account for almost 80% of ammonia Areas with the highest nitrogen emis- emissions in the United States. sions do not necessarily experience the Precipitation readily removes ammo- greatest deposition effects, which can nia and ammonium from the air. Wet occur far from the original nitrogen deposition of these compounds and source. Scientists have found that some N (kg/ha) <– 1.0 1998 wet deposi- 1.0 - 2.0 tion of nitrogen 2.0 - 3.0 from nitrate and Alaska 3.0 - 4.0 ammonium. 4.0 - 5.0 Source: National Puerto Rico 5.0 - 6.0 Atmospheric Deposi- Virgin Islands 6.0 - 7.0 tion Program National > 7.0 Trends Network. Nitrogen in the Nation’s Rain 3 The Role of Agriculture GRAPHIC COURTESY OF With advances in JOHN DEERE - NAAMC. satellite, computer, Persons engaged in the business of agriculture have a multifaceted interest in and electronics, nitrogen deposition. Applying nitrogen-based fertilizers has proven very effec- crop production is tive in increasing crop yields, but these same fertilizers may be detrimental to the moving into a goal of sustainable agriculture and may raise the amount of nitrogen in ground new age. water and surface water downstream of the farmland, contributing to the degra- dation of aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, one of the major challenges facing environmentally conscious crop producers today is the fertilizer application rates that will optimize crop yield and profit and minimize potential environmental damage. Availability of nitrogen for plant growth and crop yield depends on numerous factors: historical land use, crop type, residual nitrogen from legumes such as soybeans, soil type and condition, amount of nitrogen released by soil organic matter, and amount of nitrogen deposited by atmospheric deposition. Precision farming addresses this complex problem by providing real-time variable-rate fertilizer application that takes into consideration the crop, soil type, soil fertility, and other factors within an individual field. This maximizes the efficiency of fertilizer application, minimizes waste, and reduces surface water contamination. On a larger scale, the management guidelines of statewide fertilizer use for a given crop can be adjusted for the spatial variation of plant- available atmospheric nitrogen deposition. For instance,