Nitrogen footprint

Although nitrogen occurs naturally and is essential for life, human activities are releasing excessive, polluting amounts into the environment. 
The largest sources of nitrogen pollution come from food production and the burning of fossil fuels. 
For example, artificial nitrogen fertilisers are used to improve food yields, but overuse of fertilisers results in surplus nitrogen that contaminates the environment. 


Nitrogen pollution affects the health of people and ecosystems. 
It disrupts the natural nitrogen cycle, damages air and water quality and contributes to the formation of smog, acid rain, ozone depletion in the upper atmosphere and eutrophication of coastal waters. 
One form of nitrogen, nitrous oxide, is a potent greenhouse gas. 


The N-Calculator can help people make changes to their lifestyle to reduce their nitrogen footprint. 
The biggest changes are related to diet. 
For example, eating less red meat, which is nitrogen intensive to produce, and switching to fish, poultry or legumes, would substantially lower an individual’s nitrogen footprint, in addition to using more sustainable transport.


From here and the paper Leach, A.M., Galloway, J.N., Bleeker, A. et al. (2012) A nitrogen footprint model to help consumers understand their role in nitrogen losses to the environment. Environmental Development. 1: 40-66.