The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link
Large-scale commercialization of the Haber–Bosch (HB) process is resulting in intensification of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use worldwide. Globally N fertilizer use is far outpacing that of phosphorus (P) fertilizer. Much of the increase in N fertilizers is also now in the form of urea, a reduced form...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2014-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Letters |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105001 |
| _version_ | 1797747974603800576 |
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| author | Patricia M Glibert Roxane Maranger Daniel J Sobota Lex Bouwman |
| author_facet | Patricia M Glibert Roxane Maranger Daniel J Sobota Lex Bouwman |
| author_sort | Patricia M Glibert |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Large-scale commercialization of the Haber–Bosch (HB) process is resulting in intensification of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use worldwide. Globally N fertilizer use is far outpacing that of phosphorus (P) fertilizer. Much of the increase in N fertilizers is also now in the form of urea, a reduced form of N. Incorporation of these fertilizers into agricultural products is inefficient leading to significant environmental pollution and aquatic eutrophication. Of particular concern is the increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in waters receiving nutrient enriched runoff. Many phytoplankton causing HABs have physiological adaptive strategies that make them favored under conditions of elevated N : P conditions and supply of chemically reduced N (ammonium, urea). We propose that the HB-HAB link is a function of (1) the inefficiency of incorporation of N fertilizers in the food supply chain, the leakiness of the N cycle from crop to table, and the fate of lost N relative to P to the environment; and (2) adaptive physiology of many HABs to thrive in environments in which there is excess N relative to classic nutrient stoichiometric proportions and where chemically reduced forms of N dominate. The rate of HAB expansion is particularly pronounced in China where N fertilizer use has escalated very rapidly, where soil retention is declining, and where blooms have had large economic and ecological impacts. There, in addition to increased use of urea and high N : P based fertilizers overall, escalating aquaculture production adds to the availability of reduced forms of N, as does atmospheric deposition of ammonia. HABs in both freshwaters and marginal seas in China are highly related to these overall changing N loads and ratios. Without more aggressive N control the future outlook in terms of HABs is likely to include more events, more often, and they may also be more toxic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:59:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0fb1f1b0a05446ac8c35bc53c6d84b70 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1748-9326 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T15:59:15Z |
| publishDate | 2014-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Environmental Research Letters |
| spelling | doaj.art-0fb1f1b0a05446ac8c35bc53c6d84b702023-08-09T14:42:42ZengIOP PublishingEnvironmental Research Letters1748-93262014-01-0191010500110.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105001The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) linkPatricia M Glibert0Roxane Maranger1Daniel J Sobota2Lex Bouwman3University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science , Horn Point Laboratory, PO Box 775, Cambridge, MD 21613, USAGroupe de Recherche Interuniversitaire en Limnologie et en Environnement Aquatique (GRIL), Département de Sciences Biologiques, Université de Montréal , Case Postale 6128, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, CanadaEnvironmental Solutions Division, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, 811 SW 6th Ave., Portland, OR 97206, USADepartment of Earth Sciences—Geochemistry, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University , PO Box 80021, 3508 TA Utrecht, The Netherlands; PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, PO Box 303, 3720 AH Bilthoven, The NetherlandsLarge-scale commercialization of the Haber–Bosch (HB) process is resulting in intensification of nitrogen (N) fertilizer use worldwide. Globally N fertilizer use is far outpacing that of phosphorus (P) fertilizer. Much of the increase in N fertilizers is also now in the form of urea, a reduced form of N. Incorporation of these fertilizers into agricultural products is inefficient leading to significant environmental pollution and aquatic eutrophication. Of particular concern is the increased occurrence of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in waters receiving nutrient enriched runoff. Many phytoplankton causing HABs have physiological adaptive strategies that make them favored under conditions of elevated N : P conditions and supply of chemically reduced N (ammonium, urea). We propose that the HB-HAB link is a function of (1) the inefficiency of incorporation of N fertilizers in the food supply chain, the leakiness of the N cycle from crop to table, and the fate of lost N relative to P to the environment; and (2) adaptive physiology of many HABs to thrive in environments in which there is excess N relative to classic nutrient stoichiometric proportions and where chemically reduced forms of N dominate. The rate of HAB expansion is particularly pronounced in China where N fertilizer use has escalated very rapidly, where soil retention is declining, and where blooms have had large economic and ecological impacts. There, in addition to increased use of urea and high N : P based fertilizers overall, escalating aquaculture production adds to the availability of reduced forms of N, as does atmospheric deposition of ammonia. HABs in both freshwaters and marginal seas in China are highly related to these overall changing N loads and ratios. Without more aggressive N control the future outlook in terms of HABs is likely to include more events, more often, and they may also be more toxic.https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105001nitrogeneutrophicationnitrogen fertilizerN : P ratiocyanobacteriadinoflagellates |
| spellingShingle | Patricia M Glibert Roxane Maranger Daniel J Sobota Lex Bouwman The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link Environmental Research Letters nitrogen eutrophication nitrogen fertilizer N : P ratio cyanobacteria dinoflagellates |
| title | The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link |
| title_full | The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link |
| title_fullStr | The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link |
| title_short | The Haber Bosch–harmful algal bloom (HB–HAB) link |
| title_sort | haber bosch harmful algal bloom hb hab link |
| topic | nitrogen eutrophication nitrogen fertilizer N : P ratio cyanobacteria dinoflagellates |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/9/10/105001 |
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