Changes of nitrogen deposition in China from 1980 to 2018.

China has experienced a dramatic change in atmospheric reactive nitrogen (Nr) emissions over the past four decades. However, it remains unclear how nitrogen (N) deposition has responded to increases and/or decreases in Nr emissions. This study quantitatively assesses temporal and spatial variations in measurements of bulk and calculated dry N deposition in China from 1980 to 2018. A long-term database (1980-2018) shows that bulk N deposition peaked in around 2000, and had declined by 45% by 2016-2018. Recent bulk and dry N deposition (based on monitoring from 2011 to 2018) decreased from 2011 to 2018, with current average values of 19.4 ± 0.8 and 20.6 ± 0.4 kg N ha-1 yr-1, respectively. Oxidized N deposition, especially dry deposition, decreased after 2010 due to NOx emission controls. In contrast, reduced N deposition was approximately constant, with reductions in bulk NH4+-N deposition offset by a continuous increase in dry NH3 deposition. Elevated NH3 concentrations were found at nationwide monitoring sites even at urban sites, suggesting a strong influence of both agricultural and non-agricultural sources. Current emission controls are reducing Nr emissions and deposition but further mitigation measures are needed, especially of NH3, built on broader regional emission control strategies.

• Publication year

  2020

• Venue

  Environment International

• Publication date

  2020-08-11

• Fields of study

  Medicine, Environmental Science

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1016/j.envint.2020.106022PMID 32795750
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• No claims are published for this paper.

• No concepts are published for this paper.

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