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17 - Nitrogen as a threat to European water quality

from Part IV - Managing nitrogen in relation to key societal threats

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2011

By
Bruna Grizzetti ,
Fayçal Bouraoui ,
Gilles Billen ,
Hans van Grinsven ,
Ana Cristina Cardoso ,
Vincent Thieu ,
Josette Garnier ,
Chris Curtis ,
Robert Howarth  and
Penny Johnes
Edited by
Mark A. Sutton ,
Clare M. Howard ,
Jan Willem Erisman ,
Gilles Billen ,
Albert Bleeker ,
Peringe Grennfelt ,
Hans van Grinsven  and
Bruna Grizzetti
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Fayçal Bouraoui
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
University Pierre & Marie Curie
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Ana Cristina Cardoso
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
Vincent Thieu
Affiliation:
UMR 7619 Sisyphe CNRS/UPMC
Josette Garnier
Affiliation:
UMR Sisyphe UPMC & CNRS
Chris Curtis
Affiliation:
University College London Environmental Change Research Centre
Robert Howarth
Affiliation:
Cornell University
Penny Johnes
Affiliation:
University of Reading
Mark A. Sutton
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Clare M. Howard
Affiliation:
NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK
Jan Willem Erisman
Affiliation:
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Gilles Billen
Affiliation:
CNRS and University of Paris VI
Albert Bleeker
Affiliation:
Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands
Peringe Grennfelt
Affiliation:
Swedish Environmental Research Institute (IVL)
Hans van Grinsven
Affiliation:
PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency
Bruna Grizzetti
Affiliation:
European Commission Joint Research Centre
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Summary

Executive summary

Nature of the problem

  • Anthropogenic increase of nitrogen in water poses direct threats to human and aquatic ecosystems. High nitrate concentrations in drinking water are dangerous for human health. In aquatic ecosystems the nitrogen enrichment produces eutrophication, which is responsible for toxic algal blooms, water anoxia, fish kills and habitat and biodiversity loss.

  • The continuous nitrogen export to waters reduces the capacity of aquatic ecosystems to absorb, reorganise and adapt to external stress, increasing their vulnerability to future unexpected natural or climate events.

Key findings/state of knowledge

  • Nitrogen concentrations in European rivers, lakes, aquifers and coastal waters are high in many regions. In addition nitrate concentrations are increasing in groundwaters, threatening the long term quality of the resource.

  • In Europe, nitrogen pressures occur over large areas, implying elevated costs for meeting the long-term good chemical and ecological water quality requirements. A significant part of the European population could be potentially exposed to high nitrate values in drinking water if adequate treatments were not in place. Furthermore many of European aquatic ecosystems are eutrophic or at risk of eutrophication.

  • Nitrogen pressures have reduced biodiversity and damaged the resilience of aquatic ecosystems and continue to pose a threat to the aquatic environment and to the provision of goods and services from the aquatic ecosystems.

  • Even under favourable land use scenarios the nitrogen export to European waters and seas is likely to remain significant in the near future. The effects of climate change on nitrogen export to water are still uncertain.

Type
Chapter
Information
The European Nitrogen Assessment
Sources, Effects and Policy Perspectives
 , pp. 379 - 404
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2011

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