Changes of nitrogen deposition in China from 1980 to 2018

Zhang Wen; Wen Xu; Qi Li; Mengjuan Han; Aohan Tang; Ying Zhang; Xiaosheng Luo; Jianlin Shen; Wei Wang; Kaihui Li; Yuepeng Pan; Lin Zhang; Wenqing Li; Jeffery Lee Collett Jr; Buqing Zhong; Xuemei Wang; Keith Goulding; Fusuo Zhang; Xuejun Liu

doi:10.1016/j.envint.2020.106022

Changes of nitrogen deposition in China from 1980 to 2018

Environ Int. 2020 Nov:144:106022. doi: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106022. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

Authors

Zhang Wen¹, Wen Xu¹, Qi Li¹, Mengjuan Han¹, Aohan Tang¹, Ying Zhang¹, Xiaosheng Luo², Jianlin Shen³, Wei Wang⁴, Kaihui Li⁵, Yuepeng Pan⁶, Lin Zhang⁷, Wenqing Li⁸, Jeffery Lee Collett Jr⁹, Buqing Zhong¹⁰, Xuemei Wang¹⁰, Keith Goulding¹¹, Fusuo Zhang¹, Xuejun Liu¹²

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Institute of Plant Nutrition, Resources and Environmental Sciences, Henan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhengzhou 450002, China.
³ Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changsha 410125, China.
⁴ Xizang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry College, Nyingchi, Tibet 860000, China.
⁵ Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
⁷ Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
⁸ Fujian Institute of Tobacco Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou 350003, China.
⁹ Department of Atmospheric Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
¹⁰ Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, China.
¹¹ The Sustainable Agricultural Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, Harpenden AL5 2JQ, UK.
¹² Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of MOE, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China. Electronic address: liu310@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 32795750
DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106022

Abstract

China has experienced a dramatic change in atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions over the past four decades. However, it remains unclear how nitrogen (N) deposition has responded to increases and/or decreases in Nr emissions. This study quantitatively assesses temporal and spatial variations in measurements of bulk and calculated dry N deposition in China from 1980 to 2018. A long-term database (1980-2018) shows that bulk N deposition peaked in around 2000, and had declined by 45% by 2016-2018. Recent bulk and dry N deposition (based on monitoring from 2011 to 2018) decreased from 2011 to 2018, with current average values of 19.4 ± 0.8 and 20.6 ± 0.4 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1, respectively. Oxidized N deposition, especially dry deposition, decreased after 2010 due to NO_x emission controls. In contrast, reduced N deposition was approximately constant, with reductions in bulk NH₄⁺-N deposition offset by a continuous increase in dry NH₃ deposition. Elevated NH₃ concentrations were found at nationwide monitoring sites even at urban sites, suggesting a strong influence of both agricultural and non-agricultural sources. Current emission controls are reducing Nr emissions and deposition but further mitigation measures are needed, especially of NH₃, built on broader regional emission control strategies.

Keywords: Air pollution; Ammonia; Atmospheric deposition; Emission control; Reactive nitrogen.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Agriculture
Air Pollutants* / analysis
China
Environmental Monitoring
Nitrogen* / analysis

Substances

Air Pollutants
Nitrogen