Agricultural ammonia emissions inventory and spatial distribution in the North China Plain

• Published in: Environmental pollution (1987) 2010-02, Vol.158 (2), p.490-501
• Main Authors: Zhang, Y., Dore, A.J., Ma, L., Liu, X.J., Ma, W.Q., Cape, J.N., Zhang, F.S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agriculture; Air Pollutants - analysis; air pollution; Ammonia; Ammonia - analysis; ammonium nitrogen; Animals; Animals, Domestic - metabolism; Applied sciences; Atmospheric pollution; China; Dispersed sources and other; Emission inventory; Environmental Monitoring - methods; Environmental Monitoring - statistics & numerical data; Exact sciences and technology; fertilizer application; gas emissions; Geography; inventories; livestock; Livestock emission; Mineral fertilizer application; mineral fertilizers; Models, Theoretical; Pollution; Pollution sources. Measurement results; Spatial distribution
• ISSN: 0269-7491; 1873-6424
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2009.08.033

An agricultural ammonia (NH 3) emission inventory in the North China Plain (NCP) on a prefecture level for the year 2004, and a 5 × 5 km 2 resolution spatial distribution map, has been calculated for the first time. The census database from China's statistics datasets, and emission factors re-calculated by the RAINS model supported total emissions of 3071 kt NH 3–N yr −1 for the NCP, accounting for 27% of the total emissions in China. NH 3 emission from mineral fertilizer application contributed 1620 kt NH 3–N yr −1, 54% of the total emission, while livestock emissions accounted for the remaining 46% of the total emissions, including 7%, 27%, 7% and 5% from cattle, pigs, sheep and goats, and poultry, respectively. A high-resolution spatial NH 3 emissions map was developed based on 1 × 1 km land use database and aggregated to a 5 × 5 km grid resolution. The highest emission density value was 198 kg N ha −1 yr −1. The first high-resolution spatial distribution of ammonia emissions for the North China Plain showed rates up to 200 kg NH 3–N ha −1 yr −1.