Human health effects of a changing global nitrogen cycle

Abstract

Changes to the global nitrogen cycle affect human health well beyond the associated benefits of increased food production. Many intensively fertilized crops become animal feed, helping to create disparities in world food distribution and leading to unbalanced diets, even in wealthy nations. Excessive air- and water-borne nitrogen are linked to respiratory ailments, cardiac disease, and several cancers. Ecological feedbacks to excess nitrogen can inhibit crop growth, increase allergenic pollen production, and potentially affect the dynamics of several vector-borne diseases, including West Nile virus, malaria, and cholera. These and other examples suggest that our increasing production and use of fixed nitrogen poses a growing public health risk.

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Affiliated Institutions

• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy US
• New England School of Acupuncture US
• Harvard University US
• Cornell University US
• University of Colorado Boulder US
• Marine Biological Laboratory US
• NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research US
• Visteon (United States) US
• Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research US
• University of North Carolina Wilmington US
• Princeton University US

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