9 November 2017
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
To whom it may concern:
I write to affirm that the emission of nitrogen gases, especially ammonia, nitric oxide, and nitrous oxide, from confined animal operations makes a significant contribution to the global burden of these gases in the atmosphere, and thus to the degradation of regional air quality and human health in downwind regions. In particular, ammonia is a precursor to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the atmosphere, and high concentrations of these small particles are now linked directly to greater human mortality from cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases. All efforts to reduce the emission of nitrogen gases from manure will improve air quality and the health of citizens who breathe that air. I have contributed some of the relevant, peer-reviewed scientific literature on this topic, which is listed below.
Sincerely,
William H. Schlesinger
Schlesinger, W.H. and A.E. Hartley. 1992. A global budget for atmospheric NH3. Biogeochemistry 15: 191-211.
Aneja, V.P., J. Blunden, K. James, W.H. Schlesinger, R. Knighton, W. Gilliam, G. Jennings, D. Niyogi, and S. Cole. 2008. Ammonia assessment from agriculture: U.S. status and needs. Journal of Environmental Quality 37:515-520.
Schlesinger, W.H. 2009. On the fate of anthropogenic nitrogen. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 106:203-208. [doi:10.1073/pnas.0810193105]
Aneja, V.P., W.H. Schlesinger, and J.W. Erisman. 2009. Effects of agriculture upon the air quality and climate: Research, Policy, and Regulations. Environmental Science and Technology 43:4234-4240. [doi:10.1021/2s8024403]