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Nitrogen pollution in the European Union – origins and proposed solutions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 October 2009

Ester van der Voet ,
René Kleijn  and
Helias A. Udo de Haes
Ester van der Voet*
Affiliation:
Centre of Environmental Science, State University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
René Kleijn
Affiliation:
Centre of Environmental Science, State University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
Helias A. Udo de Haes
Affiliation:
Centre of Environmental Science, State University of Leiden, P.O. Box 9518, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands
*
* Ester van der Voet Tel: +31 71 5277461 Fax: +31 71 5277434 e-mail: voet@rulrhb.lcidenuniv.nl
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Summary

The European Union is faced with major environmental problems related to nitrogen (N) compounds. The origins of three such problems, the atmospheric deposition of N compounds, the leaching of nitrates to ground-water and the anthropogenic N-input to the North Sea, are investigated by means of a Substance Flow Analysis (SFA); the reference year is 1988. Although the problems occur at various scales and have varying direct causes, food production and consumption together are the main responsible sectors, and the production and import of fertilizer appear to be the major ultimate sources in all three cases. Measures to combat these problems have been agreed to in various international frameworks: the European Community, the International North Sea Conference and the Rhine States Conference. These measures include technical emission reduction for acidifying compounds resulting in a 30% emission reduction; extension of the sewage treatment network and application of denitrification with 50% effectiveness; and introduction of measures directed at efficiency increase and emission reduction in agricultural practice in 10% of the agricultural area. The recent changes in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) are not expected to lead to significant changes in N flows. Assuming full implementation, an almost sufficient 45% reduction is expected for the anthropogenic nitrogen input into the North Sea. The atmospheric deposition of nitrogen compounds will be reduced by approximately 20%. The leaching of nitrates to the ground-water is expected to remain at the current level or even to increase a little. In all, these measures are conducive to solving, but do not satisfactorily solve, the three problems, mainly because the ultimate origins of the problems are not sufficiently influenced and measures therefore inevitably result in a shifting of problems.

Keywords

nitrogen compoundsEuropean UnionNorth Seaground-wateratmospheric depositionenvironmental policymaterials balances
Type
Papers
Information
Environmental Conservation , Volume 23 , Issue 2 , June 1996 , pp. 120 - 132
Copyright
Copyright © Foundation for Environmental Conservation 1996

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