Nitrogen and Phosphorus

Nitrogen emissions, among other effects, pollute the groundwater and air. They thereby entail direct health costs as well as water treatment costs. Both, nitrogen and phosphorus emissions, impact surface waters through eutrophication and acidification and thus lead to the impairment and loss of ecosystems.

For emissions of nitrogen into the air, we recommend using the following value factors when no specific information on the emission source is available. For phosphorus emissions into the air, we currently cannot specify value factors due to data limitations.

The emission of nitrogen compounds leads to substantial environmental damage.

Nitrogen compounds include nitrogen oxide, ammonia and nitrous oxide.

Source: Umweltbundesamt

Downloads:

• Excel table for download (236.02 kB)

The average value factors for emissions into surface waters in the table below are based on the assumption that the respective pollutant is the only cause of damage to the respective type of water body. This reflects that in most inland waters, plant growth is limited by phosphorus, whereas in most marine and coastal waters nitrogen is the limiting substance. Therefore, for the total damage caused by emissions into surface waters (inland waters and sea), the value factor of 24.86 Euro/kilogram (value factor for emission into marine waters) should be used for nitrogen. For phosphorus, we recommend using the value factor of 437 Euro/kilogram (value factor for emissions into inland waters). This avoids double counting.

Environmental damages from the emission of nitrogen and phosphorus into surface waters

For unknown pathways, environmental damages related to nitrogen emissions into surface waters are estimated to amount to 25 € per kilogram, whereas for phosphorus the estimate is 437 €/kg emitted into surface waters.

Source: Umweltbundesamt

Downloads:

• Excel table for download (235.53 kB)

More detailed information can be found in Chapter 6 of the Handbook on Environmental Value Factors – Methodological Convention 4.0 for the Assessment of Environmental Impacts.