Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Biosphere/Hydrosphere/Land–Atmosphere Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2022) | Viewed by 12922

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University (CAU), Beijing 100193, China
Interests: atmospheric environment; wet and dry deposition; nitrogen cycling; ammonia emission reduction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
Interests: nitrogen budget; nitrogen pollution mitigation; food security; cost and benefit of nitrogen use and loss; nitrogen policy
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
Interests: atmospheric environment; atmospheric chemistry; ammonia emissions; nitrogen deposition; air pollution; air quality modeling

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following concerns surrounding atmospheric fine particle (PM2.5, particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter smaller than 2.5 μm) pollution, the role of ammonia (NH3) emission mitigation in reducing PM2.5 formation has attracted increasing attention worldwide. NH3 is a major alkaline gas in the atmosphere and can react with sulfuric acid and nitrate acid, the oxidized products of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), and form secondary PM2.5 as ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. Ammonia is mainly emitted from agricultural cropland and livestock manure, with a small proportion being from non-agricultural emission. Therefore, it is extremely important to identify NH3 emission and mitigation potentials, from both agricultural and non-agricultural sources, in order to meet the stricter future PM2.5 environmental thresholds (e.g., 10-25 μg/m3). 

Considering this scientific background, the open-access journal Atmosphere is hosting a Special Issue to showcase the most recent findings related to agricultural ammonia emission, mitigation techniques from fertilized croplands and livestock farms, and effects of ammonia mitigation on PM2.5 reduction. This Special Issue is, of course, an appropriate venue for papers that deal with social–economic and health benefits of PM2.5 pollution improvement induced by NH3 mitigation and other associated resource reuse activities. Furthermore, this Special Issue aims to showcase the most successful case studies on regional NH3 mitigation actions in the globe.

Original results from field experiments and controlled investigations, models, and review papers in relation to NH3 emission, mitigation, and PM2.5 pollution reduction are all welcome contributions. Authors are also encouraged to write a viewpoint paper on future requirements on agricultural nitrogen management and NH3 mitigation by 2050 or 2100.

Prof. Dr. Xuejun Liu
Dr. Baojing Gu
Dr. Lin Zhang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • ammonia emission
  • ammonia mitigation
  • PM2.5 pollution
  • air quality improvement
  • agricultural nitrogen management

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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13 pages, 2084 KiB  
Article
15N Natural Abundance Characteristics of Ammonia Volatilization from Soils Applied by Different Types of Fertilizer
by Lingyun Peng, Limin Tao, Shutan Ma, Xi Wang, Ruhai Wang, Yonghui Tu, Liangjie Wang, Chaopu Ti and Xiaoyuan Yan
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1566; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101566 - 25 Sep 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2526
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) volatilized from cropland significantly impacts the ecological environment and human health. The identification and quantification of atmospheric sources of NH3 from cropland are therefore important for NH3 emission reduction and air pollution control. Choosing appropriate nitrogen (N) [...] Read more.
Ammonia (NH3) volatilized from cropland significantly impacts the ecological environment and human health. The identification and quantification of atmospheric sources of NH3 from cropland are therefore important for NH3 emission reduction and air pollution control. Choosing appropriate nitrogen (N) fertilizer types is one of the key ways to reduce NH3 emissions from agricultural systems due to different N fertilizers with different emission factors. The natural abundance isotope of N (δ15N) values can well identify the source of NH3 volatilization, although there is rare research on δ15N-NH3 values volatilized when applying different types of N fertilizers. Here, we conducted an incubation experiment to study the characteristics of δ15N-NH3 values during the whole volatilization process after different N fertilizers were applied to the soil. The results show that the cumulative NH3 volatilization from urea (U), urease inhibitor fertilizer (UI), compound fertilizer (CF) and ammonium nitrate phosphate fertilizer (AP) treatment was 5.25 ± 0.00, 3.11 ± 0.00, 3.22 ± 0.19 and 1.38 ± 0.12 kg N ha−1 at the end of the 15-day incubation period, respectively. The average δ15N value of NH3 volatilized from the U, UI, CF and AP treatments was −36.02 ± 4.95, −29.08 ± 9.70, −35.18 ± 4.98 and −29.42 ± 4.33‰, respectively. Generally, the δ15N-NH3 values ranged from −41.33 to −6.30‰ during the NH3 volatilization process. The δ15N-NH3 value was lower in the U treatment than in the UI and AP treatments (p < 0.05), which suggests that N forms and the slow-release additions of different fertilizers, such as NO3-N and urease inhibitors, can delay or slow down NH3 volatilization, resulting in relative isotopic enrichment. Therefore, the basic properties of different N fertilizers, the changes in soil NH4+-N and cumulative NH3 during the volatilization process significantly impacted the δ15N-NH3 values. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects)
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12 pages, 9165 KiB  
Article
Satellite Support to Estimate Livestock Ammonia Emissions: A Case Study in Hebei, China
by Pu Liu, Jia Ding, Yufeng Ji, Hang Xu, Sheng Liu, Bin Xiao, Haodong Jin, Xiaojun Zhong, Zecheng Guo, Houcheng Wang and Lei Liu
Atmosphere 2022, 13(10), 1552; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13101552 - 22 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1911
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is an important precursor of secondary inorganic aerosols that affect air quality and human health. Livestock production is an essential source of NH3 emissions, which exceeded half of the total NH3 emissions in China. However, our understanding [...] Read more.
Ammonia (NH3) is an important precursor of secondary inorganic aerosols that affect air quality and human health. Livestock production is an essential source of NH3 emissions, which exceeded half of the total NH3 emissions in China. However, our understanding of the livestock point NH3 emissions is still limited, due to the lack of both monitoring and statistical data. In this study, we established a satellite-based approach to estimating livestock point NH3 emissions by combining satellite observations and digital maps of points-of-interest (POI). Taking a case study in Hebei province over China, 1267 livestock points were identified. The point livestock NH3 emissions in 2020 ranged from 16.8 to 126.6 kg N ha−1 yr−1, with an average emission of 42.0 kg N ha−1 yr−1. The livestock NH3 emissions in Hebei showed an overall increasing trend, with a growth rate of 5.8% yr−1 between 2008 and 2020. In terms of seasonal changes, high livestock NH3 emissions mainly occurred in spring and summer, while low NH3 emissions were generally in autumn and winter. Satellite-derived point livestock NH3 emissions in Hebei were 2–4 times that of bottom-up NH3 emissions (EDGAR), suggesting that current used bottom-up emissions underestimated point livestock NH3 emissions. This study proposed a framework for the satellite-based estimation of livestock NH3 emissions, which is of great significance for relevant N management and NH3 emission reduction policy formulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects)
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10 pages, 1779 KiB  
Article
Impact of NH3 Emissions on Particulate Matter Pollution in South Korea: A Case Study of the Seoul Metropolitan Area
by Changsub Shim, Jihyun Han, Daven K. Henze, Mark W. Shephard, Liye Zhu, Nankyoung Moon, Shailesh K. Kharol, Enrico Dammers and Karen Cady-Pereira
Atmosphere 2022, 13(8), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13081227 - 2 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3125
Abstract
We analyzed the multi-year relationship between particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations and possible precursors including NO2, SO2, and NH3 based on local observations over the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) from 2015 to 2017. Surface [...] Read more.
We analyzed the multi-year relationship between particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) concentrations and possible precursors including NO2, SO2, and NH3 based on local observations over the Seoul Metropolitan Area (SMA) from 2015 to 2017. Surface NH3 concentrations were obtained from Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) retrievals, while other pollutants were observed at 142 ground sites. We found that NH3 had the highest correlation with PM2.5 (R = 0.51) compared to other precursors such as NO2 and SO2 (R of 0.16 and 0.14, respectively). The correlations indicate that NH3 emissions are likely a limiting factor in controlling PM2.5 over the SMA in a high-NOx environment. This implies that the current Korean policy urgently requires tools for controlling local NH3 emissions from the livestock industry (for example, from hog manure). These findings provide the first satellite-based trace gas evidence that implementing an NH3 control strategy could play a key role in improving air quality in the SMA. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects)
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9 pages, 1645 KiB  
Article
Quantifying the Influence of a Burn Event on Ammonia Concentrations Using a Machine-Learning Technique
by Jiabao Hu, Tingting Liao, Yixuan Lü, Yanjun Wang, Yuexin He, Weishou Shen, Xianyu Yang, Dongsheng Ji and Yuepeng Pan
Atmosphere 2022, 13(2), 170; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13020170 - 21 Jan 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2621
Abstract
Although combustion is considered a common source of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere, field measurements quantifying such emissions of NH3 are still lacking. In this study, online measurements of NH3 were performed by a cavity ring-down spectrometer, in the [...] Read more.
Although combustion is considered a common source of ammonia (NH3) in the atmosphere, field measurements quantifying such emissions of NH3 are still lacking. In this study, online measurements of NH3 were performed by a cavity ring-down spectrometer, in the cold season at a rural site in Xianghe on the North China Plain. We found that the NH3 concentrations were mostly below 65 ppb during the study period. However, from 18 to 21 November 2017, a close burn event (~100 m) increased the NH3 concentrations to 145.6 ± 139.9 ppb. Using a machine-learning technique, we quantified that this burn event caused a significant increase in NH3 concentrations by 411%, compared with the scenario without the burn event. In addition, the ratio of ∆NH3/∆CO during the burn period was 0.016, which fell in the range of biomass burning. Future investigations are needed to evaluate the impacts of the NH3 combustion sources on air quality, ecosystems, and climate in the context of increasing burn events worldwide. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects)
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7 pages, 694 KiB  
Opinion
One-Time Deep Application of Nitrogen Fertilizer: A Potential Measure of Ammonia Mitigation in Grainland
by Wenxu Dong, Tingting Zeng, Xiqun Zhang, Hongliang Wu, Xiuping Liu, Xiaoxin Li, Yuming Zhang and Chunsheng Hu
Atmosphere 2022, 13(11), 1859; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13111859 - 8 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1517
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is one of the main precursors of secondary inorganic aerosols. In 2018, the NH3 emissions of China’s cereal production (rice, wheat and maize) were estimated to be 3.3 Mt NH3-N. Numerous NH3 mitigation strategies have [...] Read more.
Ammonia (NH3) is one of the main precursors of secondary inorganic aerosols. In 2018, the NH3 emissions of China’s cereal production (rice, wheat and maize) were estimated to be 3.3 Mt NH3-N. Numerous NH3 mitigation strategies have been developed in agriculture to reduce the emissions and improve air quality. However, due to the cost and unfeasibility of some developed techniques, the application of these mitigation measures is relatively slow in cropland. Therefore, developing low-cost, easy-operation, and feasible mitigation measures is an important breakthrough to solve the pollution of ammonia emissions in grain fields. The one-time deep application of nitrogen fertilizer in crop growing season, referred to as one-time application, is a promising ammonia mitigation measure for grain fields. It is a low-cost mode of fertilizer application suitable for grain fields as it saves labor and reduces the input of agricultural machinery. Therefore, incentive policies should be formulated to promote it for wide-range application in the whole country, especially in the areas with serious ammonia pollution, in order to achieve the goal of green and sustainable agricultural production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Agricultural Ammonia Emission and Mitigation Effects)
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