Premium
Integrated Assessment of Nitrogen Losses from Agriculture in EU‐27 using MITERRA‐EUROPE
Author(s) -
Velthof G.L.,
Oudendag D.,
Witzke H.P.,
Asman W.A.H.,
Klimont Z.,
Oenema O.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq2008.0108
Subject(s) - leaching (pedology) , nitrous oxide , denitrification , european union , volatilisation , agriculture , environmental science , nitrogen , ammonia , groundwater , chemistry , environmental chemistry , ammonia volatilization from urea , environmental engineering , soil science , soil water , ecology , business , engineering , geotechnical engineering , organic chemistry , biology , economic policy
The high N inputs to agricultural systems in many regions in 27 member states of the European Union (EU‐27) result in N leaching to groundwater and surface water and emissions of ammonia (NH 3 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), nitric oxide (NO), and dinitrogen (N 2 ) to the atmosphere. Measures taken to decreasing these emissions often focus at one specific pollutant, but may have both antagonistic and synergistic effects on other N emissions. The model MITERRA‐EUROPE was developed to assess the effects and interactions of policies and measures in agriculture on N losses and P balances at a regional level in EU‐27. MITERRA‐EUROPE is partly based on the existing models CAPRI and GAINS, supplemented with a N leaching module and a module with sets of measures. Calculations for the year 2000 show that denitrification is the largest N loss pathway in European agriculture (on average 44 kg N ha −1 agricultural land), followed by NH 3 volatilization (17 kg N ha −1 ), N leaching (16 kg N ha −1 ) and emissions of N 2 O (2 kg N ha −1 ) and NO X (2 kg N ha −1 ). However, losses between regions in the EU‐27 vary strongly. Some of the measures implemented to abate NH 3 emission may increase N 2 O emissions and N leaching. Balanced N fertilization has the potential of creating synergistic effects by simultaneously decreasing N leaching and NH 3 and N 2 O emissions. MITERRA‐EUROPE is the first model that quantitatively assesses the possible synergistic and antagonistic effects of N emission abatement measures in a uniform way in EU‐27.