The EU and the World Health Organization apply a drinking water standard for nitrate in drinking water of 50 milligrams per litre. The risks to human health posed by nitrate in drinking water have…
Exploring global Cryptosporidium emissions to surface water
The protozoan parasite Cryptosporidium is a major cause of diarrhea worldwide. This paper presents the first model-based inventory with 0.5 by 0.5 degree resolution of global Cryptosporidium emissions…
Management, regulation and environmental impacts of nitrogen fertilization in north-western Europe under the Nitrates Directive; a benchmark study
Implementation of the EU Nitrates Directive and its environmental impacts were compared for Member States in the north-west of the European Union (Ireland, United Kingdom, Denmark, the Netherlands…
Reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy: Environmental impacts in developing countries
The proposed reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) will have little impact in developing countries. This is the conclusion by the PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency…
European-scale modelling of groundwater denitrification and associated N2O production
This paper presents a spatially explicit model for simulating the transport of nitrogen (N) and the denitrification and associated production of nitrous oxide (N 2O) in groundwater, with a one…
Exploring global changes in nitrogen and phosphorus cycles in agriculture induced by livestock production over the 1900–2050 period
Global nutrient surpluses will continue to increase in the next fifty years. This will lead to larger amounts of nutrients in soil and surface waters, disrupting ecosystems and harming biodiversity.
Nitrogen pollution costs the European Union between €70 billion and €320 billion per year. This cost is more than double the value that nitrogen fertilizers are estimated to add to European farm…
For the last five years, scientists across Europe have chronicled the little-known nitrogen dilemma and the threats it poses to our environment and health – as well as how we can solve the problem.
Explaining agricultural intensity at the European and global scale
Agricultural land management and land use intensity differ across the globe but their constraints and drivers are limitedly understood at the continental and global scale. The main objective of this…
Phosphorus demand for the 1970–2100 period: A scenario analysis of resource depletion
The phosphorus (P) cycle has been significantly altered by human activities. For this paper, we explored the sustainability of current P flows in terms of resource depletion and the ultimate fate of…
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