Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tro...

Research

Associated organisational units

Text available via DOI:

Keywords

View graph of relations

Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Published

Standard

Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution. / Hewitt, C. N.; Mackenzie, Rob; Di Carlo, P. et al.
In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 106, No. 44, 2009, p. 18447-18451.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review

Harvard

Hewitt, CN, Mackenzie, R, Di Carlo, P, Di Marco, CF, Dorsey, JR, Evans, M, Fowler, D, Gallagher, MW, Hopkins, JR, Jones, CE, Langford, B, Lee, JD, Lewis, AC, Lim, SF, McQuaid, J, Misztal, P, Moller, SJ, Monks, PS, Nemitz, E, Oram, DE, Owen, SM, Phillips, GJ, Pugh, T, Pyle, JA, Reeves, CE, Ryder, J, Siong, J, Skiba, U & Stewart, DJ 2009, 'Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 106, no. 44, pp. 18447-18451. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907541106

APA

Hewitt, C. N., Mackenzie, R., Di Carlo, P., Di Marco, C. F., Dorsey, J. R., Evans, M., Fowler, D., Gallagher, M. W., Hopkins, J. R., Jones, C. E., Langford, B., Lee, J. D., Lewis, A. C., Lim, S. F., McQuaid, J., Misztal, P., Moller, S. J., Monks, P. S., Nemitz, E., ... Stewart, D. J. (2009). Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(44), 18447-18451. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0907541106

Vancouver

Hewitt CN, Mackenzie R, Di Carlo P, Di Marco CF, Dorsey JR, Evans M et al. Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2009;106(44):18447-18451. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0907541106

Author

Hewitt, C. N. ; Mackenzie, Rob ; Di Carlo, P. et al. / Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution. In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2009 ; Vol. 106, No. 44. pp. 18447-18451.

Bibtex

@article{12854e620c2f49579230149c7d6c0746,
title = "Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution",
abstract = "More than half the world's rainforest has been lost to agriculture since the Industrial Revolution. Among the most widespread tropical crops is oil palm (Elaeis guineensis): global production now exceeds 35 million tonnes per year. In Malaysia, for example, 13% of land area is now oil palm plantation, compared with 1% in 1974. There are enormous pressures to increase palm oil production for food, domestic products, and, especially, biofuels. Greater use of palm oil for biofuel production is predicated on the assumption that palm oil is an {"}environmentally friendly'' fuel feedstock. Here we show, using measurements and models, that oil palm plantations in Malaysia directly emit more oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds than rainforest. These compounds lead to the production of ground-level ozone (O-3), an air pollutant that damages human health, plants, and materials, reduces crop productivity, and has effects on the Earth's climate. Our measurements show that, at present, O-3 concentrations do not differ significantly over rainforest and adjacent oil palm plantation landscapes. However, our model calculations predict that if concentrations of oxides of nitrogen in Borneo are allowed to reach those currently seen over rural North America and Europe, ground-level O-3 concentrations will reach 100 parts per billion (10(9)) volume (ppbv) and exceed levels known to be harmful to human health. Our study provides an early warning of the urgent need to develop policies that manage nitrogen emissions if the detrimental effects of palm oil production on air quality and climate are to be avoided.",
keywords = "air quality, land use change, sustainable development, biofuel, ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS, MODEL, EMISSIONS",
author = "Hewitt, {C. N.} and Rob Mackenzie and {Di Carlo}, P. and {Di Marco}, {C. F.} and Dorsey, {J. R.} and M. Evans and D. Fowler and Gallagher, {M. W.} and Hopkins, {J. R.} and Jones, {C. E.} and B. Langford and Lee, {J. D.} and Lewis, {A. C.} and Lim, {S. F.} and J. McQuaid and P. Misztal and Moller, {S. J.} and Monks, {P. S.} and E. Nemitz and Oram, {D. E.} and Owen, {S. M.} and Phillips, {G. J.} and Thomas Pugh and Pyle, {J. A.} and Reeves, {C. E.} and J. Ryder and J. Siong and U. Skiba and Stewart, {D. J.}",
year = "2009",
doi = "10.1073/pnas.0907541106",
language = "English",
volume = "106",
pages = "18447--18451",
journal = "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America",
issn = "0027-8424",
publisher = "National Academy of Sciences",
number = "44",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Nitrogen management is essential to prevent tropical oil palm plantations from causing ground-level ozone pollution

AU - Hewitt, C. N.

AU - Mackenzie, Rob

AU - Di Carlo, P.

AU - Di Marco, C. F.

AU - Dorsey, J. R.

AU - Evans, M.

AU - Fowler, D.

AU - Gallagher, M. W.

AU - Hopkins, J. R.

AU - Jones, C. E.

AU - Langford, B.

AU - Lee, J. D.

AU - Lewis, A. C.

AU - Lim, S. F.

AU - McQuaid, J.

AU - Misztal, P.

AU - Moller, S. J.

AU - Monks, P. S.

AU - Nemitz, E.

AU - Oram, D. E.

AU - Owen, S. M.

AU - Phillips, G. J.

AU - Pugh, Thomas

AU - Pyle, J. A.

AU - Reeves, C. E.

AU - Ryder, J.

AU - Siong, J.

AU - Skiba, U.

AU - Stewart, D. J.

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - More than half the world's rainforest has been lost to agriculture since the Industrial Revolution. Among the most widespread tropical crops is oil palm (Elaeis guineensis): global production now exceeds 35 million tonnes per year. In Malaysia, for example, 13% of land area is now oil palm plantation, compared with 1% in 1974. There are enormous pressures to increase palm oil production for food, domestic products, and, especially, biofuels. Greater use of palm oil for biofuel production is predicated on the assumption that palm oil is an "environmentally friendly'' fuel feedstock. Here we show, using measurements and models, that oil palm plantations in Malaysia directly emit more oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds than rainforest. These compounds lead to the production of ground-level ozone (O-3), an air pollutant that damages human health, plants, and materials, reduces crop productivity, and has effects on the Earth's climate. Our measurements show that, at present, O-3 concentrations do not differ significantly over rainforest and adjacent oil palm plantation landscapes. However, our model calculations predict that if concentrations of oxides of nitrogen in Borneo are allowed to reach those currently seen over rural North America and Europe, ground-level O-3 concentrations will reach 100 parts per billion (10(9)) volume (ppbv) and exceed levels known to be harmful to human health. Our study provides an early warning of the urgent need to develop policies that manage nitrogen emissions if the detrimental effects of palm oil production on air quality and climate are to be avoided.

AB - More than half the world's rainforest has been lost to agriculture since the Industrial Revolution. Among the most widespread tropical crops is oil palm (Elaeis guineensis): global production now exceeds 35 million tonnes per year. In Malaysia, for example, 13% of land area is now oil palm plantation, compared with 1% in 1974. There are enormous pressures to increase palm oil production for food, domestic products, and, especially, biofuels. Greater use of palm oil for biofuel production is predicated on the assumption that palm oil is an "environmentally friendly'' fuel feedstock. Here we show, using measurements and models, that oil palm plantations in Malaysia directly emit more oxides of nitrogen and volatile organic compounds than rainforest. These compounds lead to the production of ground-level ozone (O-3), an air pollutant that damages human health, plants, and materials, reduces crop productivity, and has effects on the Earth's climate. Our measurements show that, at present, O-3 concentrations do not differ significantly over rainforest and adjacent oil palm plantation landscapes. However, our model calculations predict that if concentrations of oxides of nitrogen in Borneo are allowed to reach those currently seen over rural North America and Europe, ground-level O-3 concentrations will reach 100 parts per billion (10(9)) volume (ppbv) and exceed levels known to be harmful to human health. Our study provides an early warning of the urgent need to develop policies that manage nitrogen emissions if the detrimental effects of palm oil production on air quality and climate are to be avoided.

KW - air quality

KW - land use change

KW - sustainable development

KW - biofuel

KW - ORGANIC-COMPOUNDS

KW - MODEL

KW - EMISSIONS

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=73249125862&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1073/pnas.0907541106

DO - 10.1073/pnas.0907541106

M3 - Journal article

VL - 106

SP - 18447

EP - 18451

JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

SN - 0027-8424

IS - 44

ER -