ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS CAUSED BY

NITROGEN FERTILIZERS AND NITROGEN AIR

POLLUTANT

Nitrogen fertilizer
~Nitrogen fertilizers are made from ammonia (NH3). The ammonia is produced by the Haber-Bosch
process.
Nitrogen
from the air

Hydrogen
from the natural
gas

Equation: 3H2(g) + N2(g)

N2 and H2
with ratio
1:3

400-450C
200 atm
Iron as catalyst

Gases are cooled

and ammonia
turns to liquid

2NH3(g)

Liquid
ammonia

Unreacted
gases
recycled

~This ammonia is used as a feedstock (raw material) for all other nitrogen fertilizers, such as anhydrous
ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and urea (CO(NH2)2).
~Both ammonium nitrate and urea can be further concentrated and converted into 2a solid form.

Nitrogen fertilizer is an essential nutrient for plant

growth. The discovery a century ago of an industrial
process that converted nitrogen in the air to ammonia
made the manufacture of nitrogen fertilizers. But,
Councilwomen Smith state that nitrogen-based
fertilizers cause other environmental problems.

block vital sunlight

reduce levels of dissolved oxygen in the

water

Kills fish directly

Water Contamination
~Nitrogen soaks deeply into the soil after a rainstorm or after irrigation, reaching ground
water and nearby wells. This caused nitrate contamination in groundwater.
~When babies or elderly people ingest water with high nitrogen levels, they can develop
symptoms such as gastrointestinal swelling and irritation, diarrhea, and protein
digestion problems. These symptoms result "blue baby syndrome" which occurs when
nitrates mix with iron in red blood cells, leaving the blood unable to transport oxygen
the body's cells.

to

Natural process of nitrogen :

AIR
-78.09% of nitrogen
-20.95% of oxygen
-0.93% of argon
-0.039% of carbon dioxide
-small amounts of other gases

Nowadays, the global nitrogen cycle has been profoundly altered by human activity over the past
century. The amount of usable or reactive nitrogen produced by humans is now greater than the
amount created through natural process. This caused in increasing nitrogen emissions to the air.
Notably those of nitrous oxide (N2O) which are contributing to climate change.

Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that causes stratospheric ozone

layer depletion. Sometimes referred to as forgotten
greenhouse gas it is over 300 times more effective at
trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.

Nitrous oxide is naturally present in relatively small quantities in the atmosphere as part of
the nitrogen cycle. However, human activities such as deforestation, industrial processes are
increasing the amount of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere.
More than 2/3 of atmospheric emissions of nitrous oxide arise from processes in soils, largely
resulting from application of nitrogen fertilizer.
Nowadays, some countries are experiencing intense air pollution such as green house effect
and acid rain, due to nitrogen emissions that caused excess of nitrous oxide.

Besides that, another air pollution cause by nitrogen is amount of nitrogen dioxide increase over
century.
Nitrogen dioxide
Formed naturally in the atmosphere by lightning and some is produced by plants, soil and water.
However, only about 1% of the total amount of nitrogen dioxide found in our cities' air is formed this way.
Nitrogen dioxide is an important air pollutant because it contributes to the formation of photochemical
smog, which can have significant impacts on human health.
The major source of nitrogen dioxide is the burning of fossil fuels: coal, oil and gas. Most of the nitrogen
dioxide in cities comes from motor vehicle exhaust (about 80%).
Nitrogen dioxide caused air pollution
The main effect of breathing in raised levels of nitrogen dioxide is the increased likelihood of
respiratory problems. Nitrogen dioxide inflames the lining of the lungs, and it can reduce immunity to
lung infections. This can cause problems such as wheezing, coughing, colds, flu and bronchitis.
Increased levels of nitrogen dioxide can have significant impacts on people with asthma because it can
cause more frequent and more intense attacks. Children with asthma and older people with heart
disease are most at risk.
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Ways to overcome?

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