Alkaline air: changing perspectives on nitrogen and air pollution in an ammonia-rich world

Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences - Tập 378 Số 2183 - Trang 20190315 - 2020
Mark A. Sutton1, Netty van Dijk1, Peter Levy1, Matthew R. Jones1, Ian D. Leith1, Lucy J. Sheppard1, Sarah R. Leeson1, Y. Sim Tang1, Amy Stephens1, Christine F. Braban1, U. Dragosits1, Clare Howard1, Massimo Vieno1, D. Fowler1, Paul Corbett2, Mohd Irfan Naikoo3, Silvana Munzi4,5, Christopher J. Ellis6, Sudipto Chatterjee7, Claudia Steadman8,1, Andrea Móring8,1, P. A. Wolseley9
1UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Edinburgh Research Station, Bush Estate, Penicuik, UK
2Northern Ireland Environment Agency, Belfast, UK
3Department of Botany, Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Aligarh, India
4Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Lisbon, Portugal
5Centro Interuniversitário de História das Ciências e da Tecnologia, Faculdade de Ciências, Lisbon, Portugal
6Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh (RBGE), Edinburgh, UK
7Department of Natural Resources, TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERISAS), New Delhi, India
8School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
9Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK

Tóm tắt

Ammonia and ammonium have received less attention than other forms of air pollution, with limited progress in controlling emissions at UK, European and global scales. By contrast, these compounds have been of significant past interest to science and society, the recollection of which can inform future strategies. Sal ammoniac ( nūshādir , nao sha ) is found to have been extremely valuable in long-distance trade ( ca AD 600–1150) from Egypt and China, where 6–8 kg N could purchase a human life, while air pollution associated with nūshādir collection was attributed to this nitrogen form. Ammonia was one of the keys to alchemy—seen as an early experimental mesocosm to understand the world—and later became of interest as ‘alkaline air’ within the eighteenth century development of pneumatic chemistry. The same economic, chemical and environmental properties are found to make ammonia and ammonium of huge relevance today. Successful control of acidifying SO 2 and NO x emissions leaves atmospheric NH 3 in excess in many areas, contributing to particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) formation, while leading to a new significance of alkaline air, with adverse impacts on natural ecosystems. Investigations of epiphytic lichens and bog ecosystems show how the alkalinity effect of NH 3 may explain its having three to five times the adverse effect of ammonium and nitrate, respectively. It is concluded that future air pollution policy should no longer neglect ammonia. Progress is likely to be mobilized by emphasizing the lost economic value of global N emissions ($200 billion yr −1 ), as part of developing the circular economy for sustainable nitrogen management. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Air quality, past present and future’.

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Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences

Tập 378 Số 2183

20190315

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