Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 1
M
INERAL
N
ITROGEN
F
ERTILIZERS
:
E
NVIRONMENTAL
I
MPACT OF
P
RODUCTION AND
U
SE
R. Basosi
1,
*
, D. Spinelli
1
, A. Fierro
2
and S. Jez
1
1
Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy,
University of Siena, Siena, Italy
2
Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
A
BSTRACT
The industrialized agro-ecosystem is formed by technological and environmental
subsystems, interacting strictly among one another to guarantee high quantitative and
qualitative productivity requested by the market. Efficient management, at the moment,
requires a large use of fossil fuels that often severely affect the environmental subsystem.
Therfore, the agro-ecosystem produces a high environmental impact, both at the
local and global scale. Mineral nitrogen fertilization represents one of the main
agricultural practices with a high emission of pollutants in the atmosphere, soil and water.
This practice is necessary to guarantee high crop yields in spite of soil nitrogen depletion,
which is linked to the progressive degradation of the soil organic matter. The
environmental loading of nitrogen mineral fertilizers is due to the activities of the
technological subsystem (production, transport, application), to the alteration of some soil
microbial processes and to the excess supply not absorbed by the cultivated crops.
The present chapter will review the environmental impact of nitrogen fertilization by
analyzing the effects caused by the interactions of the technological and environmental
subsystems. The environmental loads associated with the technological subsystem will be
described by means of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) approach. The Life Cycle
Assessment is a method which is able to quantify the environmental aspects and potential
impacts associated with a product, process, or activity throughout its entire cycle of life:
from extraction of raw materials, through production, use and maintenance, to
decommissioning at the end of life. The procedure is in accordance with the ISO 14040
and ILCD Handbook.
Moreover, the main environmental effects of the nitrogen fertilizers application on
soil environmental subsystems will be described. In detail, the state of art of the effect of
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