Nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands

Soil pollution crisis Per the CIESIN, nitrogen from manure production is a significant polluting agent in the Low Countries The nitrogen crisis in the Netherlands (Dutch: stikstofcrisis) is an ecological and legal crisis that has been defined as such since 2019, following a ruling by the Administrative Jurisdiction Division of the Council of State. Background Origin of nitrogen deposition in the Netherlands in 2018 Agriculture (46.0%) Foreign sources (32.3%) Households (6.10%) Road traffic (6.10%) International shipping (2.90%) Other traffic (2.20%) Ammonia from the sea (2.20%) Industry (1.00%) Other (construction, waste, energy, etc.) (1.20%) Around 78% of the earth's atmosphere is made up of gaseous nitrogen (N2). This naturally occurring gaseous form is fairly inert and does not pose an environmental problem. At the root of the nitrogen crisis is not N2 but other more reactive nitrogen compounds that are the result of human impact on the nitrogen cycle. In the Netherlands, the soil is burdened by very high deposition rates of reactive nitrogen compounds, in particular ammonia (NH3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx). Ammonia is released into the air from animal manure, nitrogen oxides ar