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Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters (CSI 021) - Assessment published Jul 2011
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Decreasing nutrient concentrations were found in the North Sea and in the Baltic Sea. In the Mediterranean and Black Sea, the lack of temporally and spatially comprehensive time series does not allow an overall assessment. In 2008, the highest concentrations of oxidized nitrogen were found in the Gulf of Riga, and in Lithuanian, Swedish, German, Belgian, and Scottish coastal waters. Between 1985 and 2008, 12% of all the stations in the European seas reported to the EEA showed decreasing trends of oxidized nitrogen concentrations. These trends were more evident in the open Baltic Sea and in the Dutch and German coastal waters in the North Sea. In 2008, the highest orthophosphate concentrations were found at Finnish coastal stations in the Gulf of Finland, the Gulf of Riga, German, Belgian, French, and Scottish coastal waters. Between 1985 and 2008, 15% of all the stations in the European seas reported to the EEA showed a decrease in orthophosphate concentrations, mainly because of improved waste water treatment. This decrease was most evident in Norwegian, Lithuanian, Danish, Belgian and Dutch coastal water stations, and in the open waters of the North and Baltic Seas.
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Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters
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Agriculture: nitrogen balance (SEBI 019) - Assessment published May 2010
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Agricultural nitrogen surpluses (the difference between all nutrient inputs and outputs on agricultural land) show a declining trend, thereby potentially reducing environmental pressures on soil, water and air. Many countries, however, still maintain a large surplus.
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Agriculture: nitrogen balance
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EEA-32 Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions (APE 002) - Assessment published Feb 2010
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EEA-32 emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO x ) have decreased by 31% between 1990 and 2007. In 2007, the most significant sources of NO x emissions were the road transport sector (36%), combustion processes from within the energy industries sector (21%) and industrial energy use (15%) and the non-road transport sector (16%). The largest reduction of emissions since 1990 has occurred in the road transport sector. These reductions have been achieved despite the general increase in activity within this sector since the early 1990s and have primarily been achieved as a result of fitting three-way catalysts to petrol fuelled vehicles. In the electricity/energy production sector reductions have also occurred, in these instances as a result of measures such as the introduction of combustion modification technologies (such as use of low NO x burners), implementation of flue-gas abatement techniques (e.g. NO x scrubbers and selective (SCR) and selective non-catalytic (SNCR) reduction techniques) and fuel-switching from coal to gas. The National Emission Ceilings Directive (NECD) specifies NO x emission ceilings for Member States that must be met by 2010. In general, the newer Member States have made substantially better progress towards meeting their respective NOx ceilings than the older Member States of the EU-15. Eleven of the twelve post-2004 Member States have already reduced emissions beyond what is required under the NECD, or are very close to doing so (Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia). In contrast, only one EU-15 Member State (Portugal) has emissions within its respective national ceiling. Many Member States therefore must make significant cuts to NO x emissions in the immediate coming years if they are to meet their obligations under the NECD. Environmental context: NO x contributes to acid deposition and eutrophication. The subsequent impacts of acid deposition can be significant, including adverse effects on aquatic ecosystems in rivers and lakes and damage to forests, crops and other vegetation. Eutrophication can lead to severe reductions in water quality with subsequent impacts including decreased biodiversity, changes in species composition and dominance, and toxicity effects. It is NO 2 that is associated with adverse affects on human health, as at high concentrations it can cause inflammation of the airways. NO 2 also contributes to the formation of secondary particulate aerosols and tropospheric ozone in the atmosphere - both are important air pollutants due to their adverse impacts on human health.
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EEA-32 Nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions
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Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters (SEBI 015) - Assessment published May 2010
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In countries that reported data, 85 % of stations reported no changes in oxidised nitrogen levels in transitional, coastal and marine waters in the period 1985 - 2005 and 82 % reported no change for orthophosphate. At stations that identified changes, decreases were more common than increases.
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Nutrients in transitional, coastal and marine waters
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Urban waste water treatment - outlook EEA (Outlook 047) - Assessment published Jun 2007
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Assessment is created in 2007 By increasing the connection rate of the European population and the use of tertiary treatment, implementation of the UWWT directive is expected to make it possible to increase the amount of wastewater treated while reducing total discharges of nutrients. The diverse situation in European countries regarding wastewater treatment systems is a challenge to the implementation of EU directives. Diffuse sources of nutrients (e.g. agriculture) are expected to become prime issues to address as implementation of directives targeted at point sources results in significant reductions in their environmental impact (e.g. eutrophication).
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Urban waste water treatment - outlook EEA
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Trends in nitrogen surpluses on agricultural land and gross value added (GVA) of the agricultural sector in 18 EU Member States
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Emission trends of nitrogen oxides (EEA member countries, EU-27 Member States)
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This chart shows past emission trends of nitrogen oxides in the EEA-32 and EU-27 group of countries. In addition - for the EU-27 - the 2010 NECD and 2020 Gothenburg target paths and emission ceilings are shown.
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The nitrogen cycle
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Global scheme of nitrogen cycle, showing major nitrogen reservoirs (atmosphere, soil and living organisms), major processes (nitrification, denitrification, nitrogen fixation, assimilation etc.) and actors (plants, animals, bacteria, human beings).
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Part 2. Thematic indicator-based assessments
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Environmental indicator report 2012
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Environmental indicator report 2012 - Ecosystem resilience and resource efficiency in a green economy in Europe
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Source apportioned annual load in 1999 and estimated fertiliser use in Euroharp catchments.
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Total nitrogen (A) and Total phosphorus (B)
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