Summary
This meta-analysis synthesised recently published data on soil NOx emissions from temperate agricultural systems to re-evaluate the European emission factor currently used for calculating agricultural NOx in national greenhouse gas inventories. The newly derived emission factor (0.60%, n=65 studies) was not substantially different from the existing 1.33% factor, though uncertainties remain substantial due to the limited pool of available studies. The study found that whilst non-agricultural NOx sources have declined markedly across Europe since 1990, soil-related emissions from agriculture, forests and manure management are becoming proportionally more significant contributors to atmospheric pollution.
UK applicability
The UK, as a Western European nation, would fall within the geographic scope of this assessment; however, the meta-analysis does not appear to report UK-specific data. The findings suggest that UK agricultural NOx emissions warrant further empirical characterisation to reduce uncertainty in national inventory calculations, particularly given the temperate climate applicability of the reviewed studies.
Key measures
Emission factor (EF) for soil NOx (percentage of applied nitrogen); NOx emissions by source category and country; temporal trends in emissions from agricultural and non-agricultural sources (1990–2017)
Outcomes reported
The study re-evaluated the emission factor for soil NOx from agricultural nitrogen application and manure management across European countries, and assessed the relative contribution of agricultural versus non-agricultural and forest soil NOx sources to total European NOx emissions between 1990 and 2017.
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