Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem Proceedings of a Workshop–in Brief (2021) / Chapter Skim
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Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem: Proceedings of a Workshop - in Brief
Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem: Proceedings of a Workshop - in Brief
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The workshop concentrated on reducing exposure by mitigating or eliminating nitrogen leaching into ground and surface waters from agricultural production systems, not on the downstream removal of nitrogen from drinking water systems or private wells. The workshop was organized by the Workshop Planning Committee on Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem as part of the Environmental Health Matters Initiative (EHMI)
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. While there is a dearth of data quantifying the amount of nitrogen contamination in drinking water sources or tracing it back to specific farms, Kling described the overall problem as akin to "millions of small, drippy faucets that, unfortunately, are all directly channelized through hydrology into our waters." The health impacts to people exposed to nitrogen in drinking water (where it exists in the form of nitrate)
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Nairobi, Kenya: UNEP. UNDERSTANDING NITROGEN CONTAMINATION Mary Ward, National Cancer Institute, summarized the state of the science on the health effects of nitrate exposure via drinking water and dietary sources.
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OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE NITROGEN INPUTS INTO WATER SOURCES Participants discussed technologies and practices that can potentially reduce the amount of nitrogen that makes its way into drinking water sources. Focusing specifically on tile drainage systems, Jane Frankenberger, Purdue University, presented 10 evidence-based strategies for reducing nitrogen losses,9 and other speakers offered examples and ad 7 Schipper, G., and E
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Alejandro Plastina, Iowa State University, discussed how cover crops, which cover the soil between plantings of annual cash crops, can improve water quality and soil health, reduce erosion, and potentially reduce nitrogen losses. Despite these benefits, however, only a tiny fraction of Midwestern farms use cover crops, largely because they are not profitable for most farmers in crop-only production agriculture.
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Karl Rockne, National Science Foundation, spoke of advances in using plants as sensors to better understand the bioavailability of nitrogen in soil. APPROACHES TO INCREASE THE ADOPTION OF NITROGEN-CONSERVING PRACTICES The public health and environmental dangers of nitrogen contamination have been known for decades, and a plethora of approaches has been proven to reduce nitrogen losses.
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Schulte Moore suggested that a nationwide "willingness to pay" study could shed light on the degree to which the public is willing to pay for environmental benefits that farms could provide to society, whether through increased food prices or government subsidies. If a price increase for consumers is not an option, it is necessary to find other opportunities to make a business case for adopting changes, said Jenny Ahlen, Environmental Defense Fund (EDF)
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Because the "right" source, place, time, and rate of nitrogen application varies from place to place, she stressed that standards for 4R guidance should be location specific. She also urged a holistic approach that not only focuses on direct fertilizer application but also incorporates conservation practices such as reduced tillage, buffer strips, and cover crops.
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SUMMARY The workshop provided a venue for discussing the drivers behind, and opportunities to address, nitrate contamination of drinking water from agricultural sources in the United States. While numerous known practices can help farmers reduce nitrogen use and improve nitrogen uptake, thereby reducing downstream nitrogen contamination, barriers such as cost, uncertainty, and poorly targeted incentives have prevented the widespread adoption of these practices.
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TABLE 1 Potential Actions Suggested by Individual Workshop Participants to Understand and Address the Nitrogen Problem Area of Focus Potential Actions Possible Actors* Understanding the Study the health impacts at exposure levels between 5 and 10 mg/L, Researchers health impacts of including among users of private wells nitrogen contami- Study factors that may increase susceptibility to health impacts from Researchers nation of drinking nitrate ingestion water Study the spatial heterogeneity of exposure to nitrogen in drink- Researchers ing water and the epidemiological distribution of the impact of exposure Study the health effects of mixtures of contaminants that co-occur Researchers with nitrate Characterizing the Improve the data and modeling of nitrogen leaks and inefficiencies Researchers flow of nitrogen across the agricultural system from farms to Establish an interdisciplinary, multisectoral national research agenda Research funders water to create robust tools for assessing nitrogen bioavailability and losses at the farm level Employ sensing and modeling approaches to characterize baseline Researchers soil and water conditions, deliver insights on plant health, and Farmers/Crop advisors/Agricultural extension monitor nitrogen status Reducing the use Establish locally informed guidance for implementing the "four Rs" Farmers/Crop advisors/Agricultural extension of nitrogen for nitrogen application Environmental organizations fertilizer Develop and farm perennial crops that require less nitrogen fertilizer Researchers than annual crops Farmers Study and commercialize alternatives to traditional synthetic fertil- Researchers izers, such as microbial systems Develop commercial markets for manure fertilizer by improving its Farmers/Crop advisors/Agricultural extension nutrient balance and precision of delivery and decreasing the cost of Environmental organizations storage and transport Agriculture industry Reintegrate crop and cattle production Farmers Government Develop and deploy cost-efficient sensing, modeling, and precision Researchers agriculture technologies to allow more precise nitrogen application Farmers while reducing the risk of adverse impacts on yield Install drip irrigation where feasible Farmers Reducing the flow Grow cover crops between plantings of annual cash crops Farmers of nitrogen from Government farms into water Reintroduce small grains, hay, and pasture into crop rotations Farmers Government Establish prairie strips Farmers Government Reduce drainage intensity in tile-drained systems Farmers Government Capture and recycle drainage water Farmers Government Use constructed wetlands, two-stage ditches, saturated buffers, or Farmers denitrifying woodchip bioreactors to reduce drain flow and remove Government nitrogen from drainage water Incentivizing Capture and communicate data reflecting the on-the-ground impact Farmers/Crop advisors/Agricultural extension the adoption of of various practices to allow farmers to see the impact of their ac- Environmental organizations nitrogen- tions and compare their performance to others conserving Regulate irrigated agricultural lands as point-source polluters Government practices Improve metrics that capture the impact of different cropping and Researchers rotation choices to improve nitrogen use efficiency Pay producers for adopting desired practices, such as through Government government incentive programs, conservation auctions, or water Consumers quality trading systems Community water systems continued 10
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REVIEWERS: To ensure that this Proceedings of a Workshop -- in Brief meets institutional standards of quality and objectivity, it was reviewed in draft form by Steve Hoffman, InDepth Agronomy; Matt Liebman, Iowa State University; Jennifer McPartland, Environmental Defense Fund; Linda Prokopy, Purdue University; Amy Pruden, Virginia Tech; and Mary Ward, National Cancer Institute. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the process.
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The Environmental Health Matters Initiative committee dedicates this proceedings to Dr. Deborah L
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