Managing Ammonia for Multiple Benefits Based on Verified High-Resolution Emission Inventory in China

Atmospheric ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) has multiple impacts on the environment, climate change, and human health. China is the largest emitter of NH<sub>3</sub> globally, with the dynamic inventory of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions remaining uncertain. Here, we use the second national agricultural pollution source censuses, integrated satellite data, <sup>15</sup>N isotope source apportionment, and multiple models to better understand those key features of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions and its environmental impacts in China. Our results show that the total NH<sub>3</sub> emissions were estimated to be 11.2 ± 1.1 million tonnes in 2020, with three emission peaks in April, June, and October, primarily driven by agricultural sources, which contributed 74% of the total emissions. Furthermore, employing a series of quantitative analyses, we estimated the contribution of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions to ecosystem impacts. The NH<sub>3</sub> emissions have contributed approximately 22% to secondary PM<sub>2.5</sub> formation and a 16.6% increase in nitrogen loading of surface waters, while ammonium deposition led to a decrease in soil pH by 0.0032 units and an increase in the terrestrial carbon sink by 44.6 million tonnes in 2020. Reducing agricultural NH<sub>3</sub> emissions in China would contribute to the mitigation of air and water pollution challenges, saving damage costs estimated at around 22 billion US dollars due to avoided human and ecosystem health impacts.

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Publication Details

Journal
Environmental Science & Technology
Published
2025-03-06
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c12558
Citations
9
Primary Topic
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
11.71

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article

Managing Ammonia for Multiple Benefits Based on Verified High-Resolution Emission Inventory in China

Chaopu Ti, Lingyun Peng, Hongmin Dong, Zhiping Zhu et al.
9 citations
Environmental Science & Technology
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
11.71
article

Managing Ammonia for Multiple Benefits Based on Verified High-Resolution Emission Inventory in China

Chaopu Ti, Lingyun Peng, Hongmin Dong, Zhiping Zhu, Baojing Gu, Stefan Reis, Wulahati Adalibieke, Jianming M. Xu, Xiuming Zhang, Feng Zhou, Chen Wang, Lin Zhang, Hongbin Liu, Xiaoying Zhan, Zehui Liu
article en
9 citations

Abstract

Atmospheric ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) has multiple impacts on the environment, climate change, and human health. China is the largest emitter of NH<sub>3</sub> globally, with the dynamic inventory of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions remaining uncertain. Here, we use the second national agricultural pollution source censuses, integrated satellite data, <sup>15</sup>N isotope source apportionment, and multiple models to better understand those key features of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions and its environmental impacts in China. Our results show that the total NH<sub>3</sub> emissions were estimated to be 11.2 ± 1.1 million tonnes in 2020, with three emission peaks in April, June, and October, primarily driven by agricultural sources, which contributed 74% of the total emissions. Furthermore, employing a series of quantitative analyses, we estimated the contribution of NH<sub>3</sub> emissions to ecosystem impacts. The NH<sub>3</sub> emissions have contributed approximately 22% to secondary PM<sub>2.5</sub> formation and a 16.6% increase in nitrogen loading of surface waters, while ammonium deposition led to a decrease in soil pH by 0.0032 units and an increase in the terrestrial carbon sink by 44.6 million tonnes in 2020. Reducing agricultural NH<sub>3</sub> emissions in China would contribute to the mitigation of air and water pollution challenges, saving damage costs estimated at around 22 billion US dollars due to avoided human and ecosystem health impacts.

Environmental Science & TechnologyVol. 59(10)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Peking University (CN), Royal Cornwall Hospital (GB), NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (US), UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (GB), Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning (CN), Ministère de l'Agriculture et de la Souveraineté alimentaire (FR), Watershed (GB), Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN), Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture (CN), Institute of Soil Science (CN), State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Zhejiang University (CN), University of Edinburgh (GB)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, National Key Research and Development Program of China
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Atmospheric chemistry and aerosols
11.71
DOISourceOpenAlex
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