The heavy cost of the nitrogen pollution

The addition of nitrogen in synthetic fertilizers revolutionized agriculture in the early 20th century. The benefits of using nitrogen-based fertilizers, are however provided by the effects of air pollution on health and the environment nitrogen in the shade.

Nitrogen pollution costs Europe between 70 and 320 billion euro ($ 100 billion-$ 460bn) per year in their effects on health and the environment, according to a large European study launched in the UK on Monday.

The first European nitrogen assessment, the result of a five year research programme, found that the cost is more than double the advantages of the continent's agriculture sector represented.

The ENA was on Monday to start a five-day International Conference in Edinburgh.

The study was conducted by 200 experts from 21 countries and 89 organisations, who came with recommendations about how to reduce nitrogen in the air, the Earth, water and ecosystems.

The invention of synthetic fertilizer in the early twentieth century agriculture is revolutionizing, multiply income and improve the quality.

However, the amount of nitrogen in the environment at world level has doubled and tripled in Europe.

ENA Coordinator mark Sutton said: "more than half of the world's population relies on synthetic nitrogen fertilizer for food production, but measures are needed, the impact of nitrogen to reduce pollution."

"The solutions include a more efficient use of mineral and organic manure (dung, manure and compost), eating habits, and more moderate meat consumption target."

"We have the know-how to nitrogen to reduce pollution, but must we begin to apply these solutions at European level in an integrated way."

The event in the Scottish capital will bring together to start the ENA scientists and policy makers, and discuss the latest scientific progress in nitrogen.

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Ocean noise pollution blowing holes in Squid of Heads

Thousands of Humboldt squid died in 2004 before the coast of Oregon and hundreds again in the year 2008. The offender was originally as a shift of the deep sea currents, but a new study pinpoints, the noise of the physical trauma on cephalopods and raises new concerns about the incidents of squid were can inflict.

Dolphins and whales and other marine mammals are not vulnerable to noise pollution from human activities only sea life.

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Previous information, the squid may be vulnerable to noise occurred in 2001 and 2003, when giant squid along the coast of Asturias, Spain washed. The fight for the cause be identified, biologists finally concluded that the deaths were most likely related to the presence of ships with seismic air guns for geophysical prospecting of the seabed.

A new study, frontiers in ecology and the environment, published in the journal found that noise damaged cephalopods even low-intensity and can be expected to wash ashore.

In the study conducted by Michel André from the Technical University of Catalonia in Barcelona, biologists made 87 individual cephalopods four species - Loligo Vulgaris, sepia officinalis, Octopus vulgaris and Illex Coindeti - to short sweeps of relatively low intensity, low tones between 50 and 400 hertz (Hz). Then studied the animals of Statocysts - balance and position in the water liquid filled, balloon-like structures, these invertebrates maintain it. André and his colleagues found that immediately after exposure to low frequency sound, the cephalopods showed hair cell damage within the Statocysts. In the course of time was swollen nerve fibres and, finally, large holes appeared.

"If the relatively low intensity, short exposure in our study used, can cause this severe acoustic trauma, then the effects of the continuous, high-intensity noise pollution in the oceans considerable, might be" Andre said in a press release to announce the results.

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Noise underwater travels far and fast and the sea is full of natural sounds, such as such as snapping shrimp. Therefore many underwater to species adept hearing are extremely sensitive to the Cocaphanie of noise, from boat engines, sonar, the people will by this marine Symphony.

"Can we predictions that, since the Statocyste for balance and spatial orientation makes noise damage to this structure probably cephalopods ability affect would hunt, avoiding predators and even reproduce;" in other words, this would be incompatible with life, "said Andre."

The discovery raises questions, he crossed over just how widespread the effects of noise on the life could be:

"Is the noise situation impact on the entire Web ocean life?" What is beyond, other effects noise on marine damage to auditory reception systems? ?And how far spread and invasive, pollution of the marine environment is sound?

Figure 1: A cuttlefish, sepia officinalis, one of the four species studied for their response to noise pollution. (Image: Corbis)

Figure 2: Researchers found that noise pollution could literally a hole in structures blow need cephalopods to determine their orientation. Photos courtesy Laboratori d ' en Bioacústiques, Universitat Politènica de Catalunya.

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