Bryan Mendoza
Nitrogen
El Paso Community College
El Paso, TX
Abstract
With the growing concern of nitrogen pollution and its obvious effects to our
environment, we must inform ourselves of the undeniable changes that have taken
place due to lack of responsibility or, in some cases, information. Although nitrogen is a
necessity in our way of life, through human actions we have disrupted it's natural cycle,
causing both direct and indirect alterations that are posing a threat to our health and
future. Plants are dependent on nitrogen for growth and the production of glucose, and
everything else above the food chain is dependent on the plants. Most of our
atmosphere consists of nitrogen in the form of nitrogen gas, but it must go through a
process in order to be used up by plants. This process is called fixation and occurs
through different procedures. Such processes include atmospheric fixation which is
done by lighting, biological fixation which is done by certain microbes, and industrial
fixation which is done to create fertilizers. The issue with us interfering in this cycle,
through industrial fixations, is that sometimes our fertilizers reach fresh water, harming
the aquatic life and polluting our water. Aside from that, nitrous oxide is released into
the atmosphere during the industrial process. Nitrous oxide also brings us to our usage
of fossil fuels as a source of energy. During the burning of fossil fuels it releases this
harmful gas and eventually falls as part of acid rain into our ground, yet again polluting
our water sources and harming plant life. In order for nitrogen to be returned back into
our atmosphere it must go through a denitrification process in which nitrates, through
bacteria, turn it into nitrogen gas, returning it into our atmosphere, but due to our
intrusion, these bacteria cannot keep up with the conversions. Changes must be made
in how we interact with this cycle, new sources of clean energy should be used, and we
must work together to clean and keep our water uncontaminated.
Introduction :The Importance of
Nitrogen
The importance of nitrogen is often overlooked, but through a closer inspection, with
clarity cleared by knowledge, it will reveal the importance of it right down to our very
existence and life as we know it. This element is present in the very foundation of DNA, as
it " is an essential component of amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and of
nucleotides (the building blocks of DNA), and consequently is needed by all living things"
(www.engineeringchallenges.org). It even helps make up ATP, a nucleotide containing
great amounts of energy, which is used in basically every organism from bacteria to
mammals. Aside from being a major factor of our internal making, it is also the biggest
component of Earth's air, making up somewhere around four-fifths of our planets
atmosphere. This brings the realization that it would be near impossible to exhaust this
highly valued element, which is definitely a good thing, but the issue falls behind the veil of
it's natural cycle and our intrusion in this sensitive sequence. The flowing motion of energy
that supports and gives life to the flora and fauna of the planet Earth comes from our sun.
That energy is harnessed by plants through photosynthesis, the process of using sunlight
energy to produce sugars from carbon dioxide and water, which is done with the help of
chlorophyll. Nitrogen atoms help make up this life changing pigment (chlorophyll); which
leads us back to the importance of nitrogen and in what we perceive as life. This energy is
then carried along the food chain, which reveals that our life system is sustained by
plants. Recalling the aforementioned information on nitrogen, it also exposes the truly
fundamental and involved significance of the role of nitrogen in our entire life cycle from
our making to our continuance with the fundamental need for energy.
Analytical Methods
Form of
Nitrogen
Formula
Availability for plant uptake
Nitrogen gas N2
Although 78% of our atmosphere is nitrogen gas, this form of
nitrogen must be transformed to usable forms before it is available
for plant uptake.
Ammonia
NH3
Ammonia is a gas. Ammonia can escape from the surface of the
soil under certain conditions and is harmful to plants in high
quantities. Ammonia is the basic building block of commercial
nitrogen fertilizers.
Ammonium
NH4+
Soil particles attract and retain ammonium on cat ion exchange
complexes. This form may be directly taken up by plants and is
largely immobile.
Nitrate
NO3-
Nitrate is the second form of nitrogen which is available for plant
uptake. In most soils, nitrate is highly mobile. However, in the
highly weathered soils of Hawaii, nitrate is stored in soils with
‘anion exchange capacity’ and becomes less mobile.
Nitrite
NO2-
Nitrite is an intermediate product in the conversion of ammonium to
nitrate (nitrification). It is usually present in low quantities, but is
toxic to plants.
Organic
Nitrogen
Various
compounds
Organic nitrogen must be converted to ammonium before it is used
by plants. This conversion occurs with time and is known as
mineralization (ammonification).
Nitrous
Oxide
N2O
Nitrous Oxide is a gas and is not meant for plant consumption.
This gas is harmful to both animals and plants. In addition, it helps
contribute to the making of acid rain and it is also a greenhouse
gas, which entails it’s involvement in global warming.
Pollution Impact in Fresh Water
Nitrogen is naturally part of the aquatic ecosystem, but, like all things in existence, it must exist
with a form of balance. The pollution impact on fresh water involving nitrogen can affect it and us
from various angles. It can affect our health directly if ingested in high quantities, disrupt the
natural cycle of everything that lives in the water to the point that it could become a dead zone, in
which aquatic life cannot survive due to low oxygen levels, which in turn affects all the life that
once existed there and it reflects into affecting our economy on all levels and directions. These
effects reach animals, fish, people, rivers, lakes, and forests, which echoes outward to
everything else that is dependent of these things, and that is basically everything alive. Without
forests many animals habitats would be lost, without fish copious of animals that eat them to
survive would starve, and if the water would be polluted to extreme measures the life it sustains
would perish. High concentrations of nitrogen in fresh water can lead to algae growing at a rate
faster than ecosystems can manage. Although algae are food for many aquatic life including
some fish, too much it can be a calamitous thing. Large growths of algae are referred as algal
blooms, which can reduce, and in some instances, eliminate oxygen in the water. This
elimination, or even reduction, of oxygen can cause illnesses or death to fish populations. Algal
blooms can reduce the ability of various fish and aquatic life to find food, damage or clog gills of
fish, release toxins, and cause bacterial growth. Those toxins and bacteria growth can make
people, and animals alike, "sick if they come into contact with polluted water, consume tainted
fish or shellfish, or drink contaminated water" (www.epa.gov). When algal blooms reach a certain
level, they consume excessive amounts of oxygen which makes for an uninhabitable
environment for much aquatic life, which leads to that body of water becoming a dead zone. The
type of algae that usually leads to harmful algal blooms are called cyanobacteria, sometimes
referred as blue-green algae. With thick algae all over the water, it also blocks the sunlight from
underwater plants, hindering their growth and survival, once again disrupting the food chain. One
would think that they could simply wait until the algae decomposes, but with its decomposition it
consumes more oxygen and causes increases in the acidity of water bodies. If the ph level were
to rise high enough, it would lead to either death or the need for fish to migrate to a better
balanced water body. Without need for further explanation, this reveals the threat that algal
blooms pose, but they would have not become a threat if we hadn't interfered in the nitrogen
cycle. It is, after all, our man made fertilizers that eventually made their way to bodies of water to
give these algae the sustenance they required to flourish. Aside from algal blooms, acid rain,
which is caused by the burning of fossil fuels that contain nitrogen, is another concern since it is
often deposited into fresh water and damages all of it's surroundings. Pollution of our drinking
water can also be caused by high nitrate concentrations. Drinking high concentrations of this
compound can lead to health issues, but it is pregnant women, the baby in the wombs, and
infants who are younger than 6 months that are more susceptible to its effects. Infants can
become seriously ill or die. The condition is identified as methemoglobinemia, but better known
as blue baby syndrome, due to the bluish color that is seen on the skin of the babies. This
disorder causes a reduction in the ability of blood to carry oxygen around the body and has
observed side affects that include vomiting, diarrhea, and exhaustion. The high nitrate
concentrations are due to excess fertilizer finding its way into water sources. It should be noted
that restoration of water is very expensive and does not happen overnight.
Remediation
The beginning of this journey towards remediation, like many others, is to become conscious. Become
aware of the value of nitrogen, its cycle, uses, limitations, and consequences of abusing it for our
personal gain. With the acquiring of knowledge, we become responsible for the things that are going
on around our only home, Earth, since we can no longer profess ignorance. We can all take forms of
action, even if little, to contribute as a whole, and if we all did them, it would amount to a much needed
drastic change. These daily choices, involving chemical uses around our home, with our pets, lawn
and farm maintenance, and transportation can be responsible ones. It is after all the choices closest to
us that will affect us individually more than others. Specific choices for product selection falls under
choosing soaps, detergents, and household cleaners that do not contain nitrogen compounds or other
substances that might eventually get to our water supply and harm it. Knowing that a great deal of
nitrogen pollution occurs due to fertilizers, one must yield to it's effects and be more conscious of its
use and how to do it without further polluting our world. At home, one can be conservative with their
washing habits by running your clothes and dish washer only when loads are full while using
appropriate amounts of detergent/soap. Reducing the amount of water used in all household uses can
help one save money and reduce the volume of wastewater that will eventually get to the sewage
treatment plants. This can be done by choosing low-flow shower heads, faucets, reduced-flow toilet
flushing equipment, repairing any leaks, taking showers instead of baths, not over watering your
lawn/garden, and washing your vehicles when only necessary, while using a bucket to reduce the
water used. Every time one charges their phone, turns on a light, television, microwave, or computer, a
current of electricity was sent from a power plant to your home in order to achieve its function. "Most of
the energy we use to power our homes comes from fossil fuels, which release harmful gases into the
air [such as] nitrogen oxide [which we now know that through acid rain] can fall to the ground and
increase nitrogen pollution in waterways" (www.epa.gov). Conserving energy also lowers our bills,
falling in a win-win situation. This nitrogen oxide release also comes from our vehicles. That notion
posses a responsibility on us to drive only when necessary and to use other means of transportation
where it is applicable, specially if your destination falls within a three mile radius since one could easily
ride a bike there or even walk. Learning where your drinking water comes from and how you can
protect it is by far the most important for the individual since that's as close as it'll ever get to him/her.
Here in El Paso, Texas, half of our water comes from the Rio Grande, which entails that we ourselves
can get involved and make a difference. Programs exist that are trying to spread the word of its
importance and to keep nitrogen levels in check. With measures already being taken, all we need to
do is go out there and get involved.
Citations
http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/mauisoil/c_nutrients01.aspx
http://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/sourcessolutions/index.html
http://www.engineeringchallenges.org/cms/8996/9132.aspx
El Paso Community College District does not discriminate in the basis of race, color, national
origin, religion, gender, age or disability.