Brian G. Katz 
Nitrogen Overload 
Environmental Degradation, Ramifications, and Economic Costs

Finalist for the 2021 PROSE Award for Environmental Science!

An integrated approach to understanding and mitigating the problem of excess nitrogen

Human activities generate large amounts of excess nitrogen, which has dramatically altered the nitrogen cycle. Reactive forms of nitrogen, especially nitrate and ammonia, are particularly detrimental. Given the magnitude of the problem, there is an urgent need for information on reactive nitrogen and its effective management.

Nitrogen Overload: Environmental Degradation, Ramifications, and Economic Costs presents an integrated, multidisciplinary review of alterations to the nitrogen cycle over the past century and the wide-ranging consequences of nitrogen-based pollution, especially to aquatic ecosystems and human health.

Volume highlights include:

* Comprehensive background information on the nitrogen cycle

* Detailed description of anthropogenic nitrogen sources

* Review of the environmental, economic, and health impacts of nitrogen pollution

* Recommendations and strategies for reducing humanity’s nitrogen footprint

* Discussion of national nitrogen footprints and worldwide examples of mitigation policies

The American Geophysical Union promotes discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its publications disseminate scientific knowledge and provide resources for researchers, students, and professionals.

Read the Editors’ Vox: https://eos.org/editors-vox/exploring-the-widespread-impacts-of-ongoing-nitrogen-pollution

Table of Content

Preface ix

Acknowledgments xi

1. Introduction 1

2. The Nitrogen Cycle 15

3. Sources of Reactive Nitrogen and Transport Processes 29

4. Methods to Identify Sources of Reactive Nitrogen Contamination 49

5. Adverse Human Health Effects of Reactive Nitrogen 71

6. Terrestrial Biodiversity and Surface Water Impacts from Reactive Nitrogen 91

7. Groundwater Contamination from Reactive Nitrogen 119

8. Nitrate Contamination in Springs 155

9. Co-occurrence of Nitrate with Other Contaminants in the Environment 175

10. Economic Costs and Consequences of Excess Reactive Nitrogen 197

11. Strategies for Reducing Excess Reactive Nitrogen to the Environment 221

Index 243

About the author

Brian G. Katz, Research Hydrologist, U.S. Geological Survey (retired), USA; and Environmental Consultant, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. For over 40 years, Dr. Brian Katz has been conducting numerous research projects on the transport and fate of nitrogen species in groundwater, springs, and surface waters in many areas of the United States. His research work has been published in over 100 journal articles, government documents and reports, book chapters, and conference proceedings. He has organized sessions at international meetings on sources and transport of nutrients in our environment, presented at these and other meetings, and given numerous lectures on these topics. He currently serves as the Geological Society of America Co-Editor of the journal, Environmental and Engineering Geoscience.