Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jianing Zhai, Bin Han, Hongqing Li, Wanxia Ren, Bing Xue
Summary: Excessive emission of reactive nitrogen poses negative effects on human health, biodiversity, and the greenhouse effect. This study developed localized virtual Nitrogen factors (VNF) at the provincial level in China and measured the per capita food production Nitrogen footprint of 31 provinces from 1998 to 2018. The results showed an increase in per capita food production Nitrogen footprint with the dominance of meat production Nitrogen footprint.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Laura Klement, Martin Bach, Markus Geupel, Lutz Breuer
Summary: Reactive nitrogen released into the environment has negative implications for various aspects, and a nitrogen footprint can help assess the impact of personal choices. The N-Calculator tool, originally based on US data, requires revision when applied to other countries due to differences in food sector conditions. A revised N-Calculator for Germany, based on German food production data, showed varying nitrogen losses for different products, with animal-based products leading to higher losses. Validation of the results at the national level showed good agreement with statistical data on nitrogen flows in Germany.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Barthelemy Harerimana, Minghua Zhou, Muhammad Shaaban, Bo Zhu
Summary: The study reveals that Rwanda is currently facing issues of low nitrogen inputs, high soil nitrogen depletion, food insecurity, and environmental nitrogen losses. It suggests that implementing nitrogen management policies to increase agricultural nitrogen inputs and rehabilitate degraded soils with organic amendments of human and animal waste is crucial for Rwanda.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Xuemei Zhong, Xuan Zhou, Gongwen Luo, Ying Huang, Yuanfan Wu, Ruliang Cao, Chang Tian, Jianwei Peng
Summary: The combination of machine-planted rice with side-deep fertilization can reduce N loss caused by leaching and runoff in paddy fields, while maintaining topsoil N content, thereby attenuating the total N footprint of double-cropping rice systems in the Dongting Lake area.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuhei Hirono, Tomohito Sano, Sadao Eguchi
Summary: This study evaluated changes in nitrogen flows in green tea production and consumption in Japan, finding that the VNF value decreased from 54.5 in 1991 to 30.8 in 2016. This decrease was primarily due to the increased NUE in plantations and the higher consumption of ready-to-drink tea products, leading to an improved efficiency of nitrogen intake for consumers from green tea.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Sunan He, Yun Chen, Wang Xiang, Xiaowei Chen, Xiaolong Wang, Yong Chen
Summary: The peanut sector in China has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen loss. The study found that carbon and nitrogen emissions from peanut cultivation increased over the years, with some periods showing a decrease. Optimizing peanut layout is crucial for reducing environmental impact.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Yi Pei, Xiaowei Chen, Zihan Niu, Xiaojin Su, Yuanyuan Wang, Xiaolong Wang
Summary: Long-term excessive nitrogen application in sweet maize farmland in China has caused significant greenhouse gas and reactive nitrogen emissions. This study compared the effects of replacing nitrogen fertilizer with cow manure at different ratios on crop yield, gas emissions, soil organic carbon concentration, and carbon and nitrogen footprints. The results showed that replacing 20% of the nitrogen fertilizer with cow manure can reduce N2O emissions and increase soil organic carbon concentration while increasing greenhouse gas emissions and intensity. However, replacing 50% of the nitrogen fertilizer led to decreased crop yield and increased gas emissions and intensity. This study provides a research basis for developing a sustainable sweet maize farming system in the region and has implications for clean agricultural production in subtropical areas.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Thumrongrut Mungcharoen, Unchalee Suwanmanee
Summary: This study evaluated the nitrogen footprint in Thailand, revealing that food is the main contributor to the nitrogen footprint. Rice and poultry are the major sources of nitrogen, with high levels attributed to domestic consumption and international trade values.
SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yong Zhou, Ke Liu, Matthew Tom Harrison, Shah Fahad, Songling Gong, Bo Zhu, Zhangyong Liu
Summary: Intensive cereal production poses serious environmental threats, but there is limited research on the environmental impacts from the perspective of ecological footprints. A 2-year field trial in Hubei, China, showed that the ratoon rice system (RR) had lower agricultural inputs, higher grain yield, and reduced carbon, nitrogen, and water footprints compared to other systems.
FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Linlin Wang, Lingling Li, Junhong Xie, Zhuzhu Luo, Renzhi Zhang, Liqun Cai, Jeffrey A. Coulter, Jairo A. Palta
Summary: After 15 years of research, it was found that planting spring wheat under the no-till without straw mulching (NTS) practice can result in higher yield and net return, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint without increasing the nitrogen footprint.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Sibeal McCourt, Graham K. MacDonald
Summary: Nitrogen footprints are used to quantify consumer-driven reactive nitrogen emissions, with Canada providing a case study to examine attribution of these emissions to per capita consumption. The study found that different provinces in Canada have varying levels of nitrogen footprints, with key sectors such as transportation, beef consumption, and wastewater treatment making significant contributions. The analysis highlights the challenges of attributing nitrogen emissions in export-oriented economies and emphasizes the importance of considering heterogeneous geographic contexts in national nitrogen footprints.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Huijun Wu, Xinyue Chen, Ling Zhang, Xin Liu, Songyan Jiang, Yongxin Liu
Summary: This study analyzed the water, land, and carbon footprints of pig production in China and proposed recommendations for resource-saving and eco-friendly production.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Feifei Wu, Xiaohua Yang, Zhenyao Shen, Dehui Bian, Pius Babuna
Summary: The study assessed the sustainability and decoupling effects of natural capital utilization in 30 provinces of China by modifying an EF model. Results showed that China's ecological deficit peaked in 2015, and the dominant sustainability types of provinces changed over time. Despite an increase in sustainability in 6 provinces, overall sustainability in China decreased.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yuanyuan Sun, Yuan Zhi, Yanwei Zhao
Summary: The study found that a carbon tax can reduce the total water footprint, even though the water footprint for primary industries increased. In addition, the tax could decrease the virtual water content, and the reduction of virtual water content is the greatest for the secondary industries.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Fan Yu, Yuan Wang, Xin Liu, Jinru Yu, Dandan Zhao, Haijun Deng, Bin Guo, Rui Shi, Bowei Wu, Huayang Chen
Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak has had a detrimental impact on the global industrial supply chain, especially in China. Fujian Province, as a major processing hub for imported materials, has been significantly affected. However, the lockdown measures have also had some positive effects on the global ecology.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Binhui Chen, Chenchen Ren, Chen Wang, Jiakun Duan, Stefan Reis, Baojing Gu
Summary: Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is an important indicator for sustainable food production. Research shows that NUE in China is consistently lower than in developed countries. Understanding the causes of low NUE is crucial for improving nitrogen use. A study in China found that NUE ranged between 20% and 40% in most counties, with higher NUE in Northeastern China due to modern agriculture operations. Factors such as nitrogen input sources and crop types significantly affected NUE.
ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Baojing Gu, Xiuming Zhang, Shu Kee Lam, Yingliang Yu, Hans J. M. van Grinsven, Shaohui Zhang, Xiaoxi Wang, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Sitong Wang, Jiakun Duan, Chenchen Ren, Lex Bouwman, Wim de Vries, Jianming Xu, Mark A. Sutton, Deli Chen
Summary: Cropland is a major contributor to nitrogen pollution, and reducing this pollution is a challenge due to the decentralized nature of the pollution and the limitations in implementing pollution-reduction measures. By analyzing field observations, we have identified key measures that can significantly reduce nitrogen losses from croplands while improving crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency. Implementing these measures on a global scale could lead to significant benefits in food supply, human health, ecosystems, and climate, with relatively low mitigation costs.
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Baojing Gu, Xiuming Zhang, Shu Kee Lam, Yingliang Yu, Hans J. M. van Grinsven, Shaohui Zhang, Xiaoxi Wang, Benjamin Leon Bodirsky, Sitong Wang, Jiakun Duan, Chenchen Ren, Lex Bouwman, Wim de Vries, Jianming Xu, Mark A. Sutton, Deli Chen
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Zhilong He, Ying Zhang, Xuejun Liu, Wim de Vries, Gerard H. Ros, Oene Oenema, Wen Xu, Yong Hou, Hongliang Wang, Fusuo Zhang
Summary: This study optimized poultry production systems in China by reducing waste emissions and adopting environmental measures, resulting in increased economic benefits and improved environmental performance.
RESOURCES CONSERVATION AND RECYCLING
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Wei Zhao, Sixi Zhu, Xiuqing Yang, Guodong Xia, Baichun Wang, Baojing Gu
Summary: This study investigated the effects of AMF on the structure and composition of bacterial communities in the rhizosphere of plants under different chromium concentrations. The results showed that AMF inoculation decreased the Cr(VI) concentration in the rhizosphere soil and promoted nutrient uptake by plants. Furthermore, AMF increased bacterial diversity and abundance in the rhizosphere soil. These findings suggest that AMF can enhance the tolerance of wetland plants to soil Cr pollution by improving the structure and composition of rhizosphere bacterial communities.
ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Environmental
Yao Cheng, Qi An, Heshan Qi, Rui Li, Weiping Liu, Baojing Gu, Kai Liu
Summary: The spatial variation and temporal trends of PFASs in agricultural soils of Eastern China from 2011 to 2021 were evaluated. PFOS concentration decreased by 28.2% during this period, indicating the effectiveness of the Stockholm Convention and voluntary phaseout in controlling PFOS pollution. Legacy PFASs were the major components, accounting for 63.8% of total PFASs, and the contribution ratio of consumer product industries steadily increased while that of fluoropolymer industries declined.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Chenchen Ren, Xinyue Zhou, Chen Wang, Yaolin Guo, Yu Diao, Sisi Shen, Stefan Reis, Wanyue Li, Jianming Xu, Baojing Gu
Summary: The rapid demographic ageing in rural areas has negatively affected agriculture, resulting in a decrease in farmland size, agricultural productivity, and farmers' income. However, promoting new farming models can reverse these negative consequences by increasing farmland size, agricultural productivity, and farmers' income, while reducing fertilizer loss.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Jinglan Cui, Xiuming Zhang, Stefan Reis, Chen Wang, Sitong Wang, Peiying He, Hongyi Chen, Hans J. M. van Grinsven, Baojing Gu
Summary: The current understanding of how the cropland nitrogen cycle responds to elevated atmospheric CO2 is limited. This study demonstrates that elevated CO2 alone promotes the intensification of nitrogen and carbon cycles in global croplands. This has significant implications for crop nitrogen harvest, fertilizer input requirements, and reactive nitrogen loss under future eCO2 scenarios. Incorporating the effect of rising CO2 on the nitrogen cycle into Earth system models is crucial for providing robust scientific evidence for policymaking.
NATURE SUSTAINABILITY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Xiangbo Xu, Yan Xu, Jing LI, Yonglong lU, Alan Jenkins, Robert C. Ferrier, Hong Li, Nils Chr Stenseth, Dag O. Hessen, Linxiu Zhang, Chang Li, Baojing Gu, Shuqin Jin, Mingxing Sun, Zhu Ouyang, Erik Mathijs
Summary: Ensuring global food security and environmental sustainability requires understanding the contribution of smallholder farms to global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions. In this study, a localized agricultural life cycle assessment database was developed to evaluate GHG emissions from smallholder farms in China. By incorporating sustainable practices, such as crop and livestock production, GHG emission intensity could be reduced by 17.67%. Scenario analysis suggested that greater emission reductions (28.09%-41.32%) could be achieved through restructuring farming practices. This research highlights the potential of mixed farming to provide sustainable agricultural practices for reducing GHG emissions.
Article
Food Science & Technology
Chenchen Ren, Xiuming Zhang, Stefan Reis, Sitong Wang, Jiaxin Jin, Jianming Xu, Baojing Gu
Summary: Quantification of the impact of climate change on crop yield and nitrogen use efficiency reveals global inequalities in agricultural nitrogen use and losses. Farm size plays a crucial role in regulating nitrogen use for climate adaptation. The study emphasizes the importance of reducing global inequalities in agricultural nitrogen use and losses to sustain global agricultural production and reduce pollution.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Zhilong He, Zhuqing Xia, Ying Zhang, Xuejun Liu, Oene Oenema, Gerard H. Ros, Wim de Vries, Wen Xu, Yong Hou, Hongliang Wang, Fusuo Zhang
Summary: Increasing the use of manure nutrients and reducing chemical fertilizer input is a promising approach for achieving a circular economy and sustainable food systems. This study found that substituting a portion of chemical fertilizer with amended manure reduced ammonia and greenhouse gas emissions, while increasing nitrogen use efficiency.
JOURNAL OF CLEANER PRODUCTION
(2023)
Article
Microbiology
Wei Zhao, Sixi Zhu, Baojing Gu, Xiuqing Yang, Guodong Xia, Baichun Wang
Summary: With the rapid development of industry, chromium has become a major pollutant in soil, affecting soil microecology. The response of rhizosphere bacterial communities to chromium stress under different cultivation modes needs to be further studied.
MICROBIOLOGY RESEARCH
(2023)
Correction
Food Science & Technology
Luxi Cheng, Xiuming Zhang, Stefan Reis, Chenchen Ren, Jianming Xu, Baojing Gu
Correction
Food Science & Technology
Hans J. M. van Grinsven, Peter Ebanyat, Margaret Glendining, Baojing Gu, Renske Hijbeek, Shu Kee Lam, Luis Lassaletta, Nathaniel D. Mueller, Felipe S. Pacheco, Miguel Quemada, Tom W. Bruulsema, Brian H. Jacobsen, Hein F. M. ten Berge
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhenchao Zhou, Xinyi Shuai, Zejun Lin, Xi Yu, Xiaoliang Ba, Mark A. Holmes, Yonghong Xiao, Baojing Gu, Hong Chen
Summary: This study provides the first global estimates of antibiotic resistance and burden of premature deaths attributable to antibiotic resistance resulting from PM2.5 pollution. The results suggest that reducing PM2.5 concentration can significantly decrease antibiotic resistance and prevent premature deaths.
LANCET PLANETARY HEALTH
(2023)