Brussels, 26/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - The areas in Europe with the highest levels of nutrient pressure include large portions of The Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, and Italy. Nutrients can be introduced into the environment through fertilisers or other agrochemicals and can also leach into the environment from water treatment and industrial plants. Nutrients are essential for plants and animals, but in excessive amounts they can lead to a significant decrease in soil and water quality. A new atlas, the work of European Commission scientists, provides for the first time a clear view on the pressure on eco-systems due to nutrients and their source.
The atlas is the product of the FATE initiative (Fate of Pollutants in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems) at the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, investigating the impact of nutrients such as agrochemicals on the environment. The range of surplus nutrients in agro-intensive areas varies widely among European countries, with the Netherlands topping 200 kg/ha and Italy not exceeding 40kg/ha. There is also wide variety of levels within countries: for instance, France has an overall nitrogen excess of 50 kg/ha, whereas Brittany standing alone exhibits levels exceeding 120 kg/ha. The scientists were able to show that excess nutrient loss is often due to practices such as over-fertilisation, making prevention both relatively straightforward and low-cost. Indeed, applications of nitrogen fertilisers were found at times to be twice as high as crop needs. The FATE team was also able to identify a close link between increased nutrient pressures on the environment and high-density livestock production. The team also evaluated the impact of several climate change scenarios, showing that farmers in already intensive production areas will be forced to increase their use of fertilisers to maintain optimum crop yields, while demand for water resources will also increase, further taxing Europe's water supply. (an)