Agriculture in Ireland accounts for 99.4% of ammonia emissions according to the most recent report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Ammonia is one of five air pollutants which has a National Emissions Ceiling (NEC) level due to the pollutants effect on environmental and human health (EPA, 2021). The report highlighted the growing problem with ammonia in Ireland as the total ammonia emissions have exceeded the NEC nearly every year from 2010 to date, as seen in the graph below (EPA, 2021).
Environment
A recent study by Kelleghan et al (2021) confirmed that the main source of nitrgoen for Ireland’s Natura 2000 sites was agriculture due to the strong correlation between ammonia concentration and proximal agricultural land (R2 =0.74).
Atmospheric ammonia can be deposited through dry or wet deposition, which causes an accumulation of nitrogen in the plants and soils. As nitrogen accumulates, nitrogen sensitive species are outcompeted by nitrophtyic species. Species richness and biodiversity in the area is thus reduced.
Human Health
Atmospheric ammonia reacts with other compounds in the air to form fine particulate matter. The formation of this particulate matter is problematic for human health causing irritation to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
In general, air pollution has been linked to 1500 premature deaths in Ireland and ammonia specifically, is a possible risk factor in asthma development in young children (Holst et al., 2018).
What about the Future?
The government has committed to reducing ammonia emissions by 1% by 2029 and 5% by 2030 compared with 2005 levels outlined in the National Air Pollution Control Programme, with a specific roadmap “Ag Climatise” for reducing emissions from the agricultural sector.
Greenhouse Gas and Ammonia Emissions from the (agricultural) sector have been going in the wrong direction.
Senator Pippa Hackett, Minister of State in Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM, 2020)
In Ireland, cattle account for 51% of the ammonia emissions and the annual increases have been linked to the increase in cattle numbers (Kelleghan et al., 2020). Without the introduction of mitigation strategies and alongside the predicted increases in agricultural production outlined in Food Wise 2025, ammonia emissions will continue to rise and the above commitments to emission reductions will not be achieved (Kelleghan et al., 2020).
Cattle not pigs
While the majority of emissions are accounted for by cattle, the intensive sectors in Ireland still contribute to ammonia emissions. The pig sector contributes 4% to ammonia emissions which increases to 8% when manure contributions are taken into account (Kelleghan et al.,2020).
Despite the low contribution, emissions from the pig sector are important due to the intensive nature of the sector. In Ireland, pig farms tend to be concentrated in specific counties (Cavan, Monaghan, Cork, Limerick and Tipperary). In addition to the region intensity, farms tend to hold large numbers of stock. This is evident from the recent Farm Structure Survery, which showed Ireland has 1.6 million pigs yet only 1300 pig farms (CS0, 2016). The result of this is that local areas become ammonia “hot-spots” due to high concentrations of ammonia (Kelleghan et al., 2020). Food Wise 2025 aims to improve productivity and efficiency of all agricultural sectors in Ireland, including pigs. Hence, pig numbers may continue to rise and may contribute to further increases in ammonia emissions if mitigation strategies are not implemented.
Key Points
Ammonia emissions are detrimental to the environment and human health and so the government and agriculture sector have a public health duty to reduce the emissions and meet the reduction targets. The biggest reduction in ammonia emissions will come from mitigation strategies applied to the agriculture sector. Without the mitigation strategies, emissions will continue to rise as agricultural production increases to meet the food demand of a growing population both locally and globally. While mitigation strategies for cattle and manure application will have the largest impact on Ireland’s total emissions, pig mitigation strategies will reduce the impact of ammonia “hot-spots”.
References
CSO: CENTRAL STATISTICS OFFICE. 2016. Farm Structure Survey
DAFM: DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND THE MARINE. 2020. Publication of ‘Ag Climatise’- National Climate & Air Roadmap for the Agriculture Sector. gov.ie.
KELLEGHAN, D.B., HAYES, E.T., EVERARD, M., & CURRAN, T. P. 2020. Assessment of the Impact of Ammonia Emissions from Intensive Agriculture Installations on Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection Areas
EPA 2021. EPA-Irelands Air Pollutant Emissions report 2021.
HOLST, G., THYGESEN, M., PEDERSEN, C. B., PEEL, R. G., BRANDT, J., CHRISTENSEN, J. H., BØNLØKKE, J. H., HERTEL, O. & SIGSGAARD, T. 2018. Ammonia, ammonium, and the risk of asthma: A register-based case–control study in Danish children. Environmental Epidemiology, 2, e019.
KELLEGHAN, D. B., HAYES, E. T., EVERARD, M., KEATING, P., LESNIAK-PODSIADLO, A. & CURRAN, T. P. 2021. Atmospheric ammonia and nitrogen deposition on Irish Natura 2000 sites: Implications for Irish agriculture. Atmospheric Environment, 261, 118611.