Nitrogen Cycle

This project examines where the biggest difference can be made with water with efficiency. What are the largest uses of water, and what is causing the most damage in terms of quality? The largest use of water is in agriculture. Agriculture typically uses between 75 to 80 percent of world wide freshwater use; this number is close to 80 percent in the United States.

The number one cause of impairment of water bodies in the United States is eutrophication, due to runoff from fertilizer. (EPA 303d lists) Agriculture supplies 90 percent of the water runoff in the United States. (USDA Bulletin) The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes that 15 percent of applied agricultural fertilizer directly washes into water bodies. Nitrogen and phosphorous load water, facilitating algae blooms. In addition to eutrophication, all the significant estuaries and the ocean areas by the mouth of these riverine ecosystems are suffering from hypoxia. The EPA states that agricultural practices contribute 65 percent of the nitrogen compounds in the Gulf of Mexico where there is a ‘dead zone’ the size of New Jersey at the mouth of the Mississippi.

It is clear agricultural water use and fertilizer practices are causing the most damage to the United States environment and water systems.

This project examines the creation of algae farming to create biodiesel.

The algae farms in this proposal are open air ponds or clear bag systems. presently used in biodiesel systems. Our proposal suggests diverting agricultural runoff from immediately entering streams, into either a wetland algae pond, or a bag system hung from and wrapped around farm silos.

This realignment of the water system takes water loaded with fertilizer runoff and cleans it with algae. Instead of polluting streams and other water bodies, the water is captured for algae use, where they clean the water of its excess nutrients. This water can then be reintroduced into the irrigation supply, reducing agricultural water use by an estimation of five to ten percent based upon runoff reuse calculations.

In ‘Collapse,’ Jared Diamond discusses two types of environmental management: ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up.’ ‘Top down’ refers to government initiatives, and ‘bottom up’ is citizens banding together, or acting as individuals to create change. This ‘bottom up’ algae proposal seeks an installation on cornfields in the Midwest at an individual farm over 120 acres. Large farms are largely responsible for nitrogen compounds in water bodies. Corn recieves more nitrogen in fertilizer than all other crops in the Midwest combined, thus having the highest rate of runoff of nitrogen compounds. (USDA Bulletin) Placing an algae system on one farm, as a wetland, or a wrapping of a silo structure could show how much reduction could come from nitrogen loads and how much biodiesel production could be accomplished.

If successful, this model could be replicated across the Midwest and beyond. Creating an algae wetland can be done for negligible costs, and the use of the bag system, wrapping and hanging from silos could raise awareness and funding similar to the artist Christo. Instead of yellow umbrellas or orange gates, neon green forms could rise above the horizon on the farms of the Midwest, making this unseen nitrogen process revealed. This project could wed art and science, using wrapping raise awareness and empower communities with tools to repair damaged environmental systems.

Bags can be efficient because they maximize the solar exposure to water, as solar penetration makes algae viable only to a maximum depth of two inches. Photovoltaic panels placed upon the silos can power pumps needed for the fluids and gases involved in the system. The wrapping or hanging of the bags could be accomplished by community groups, the farmhands, or as mentioned above, as part of a artistic event or ritual.

If successful, additional funding for this program could come from a nitrogen tax the USDA is considering to levy upon the agricultural industry for excessive loads of nitrogen compounds escaping farms in the air and water.

turning pollution into possibility: using agricultural runoff for biodiesel

WATER QUALITY AND QUANTITY IMPROVEMENTS -this project reduces agricultural water use, by reusing all water runoff for irrigation.

-this project cleans water of nitrogen and phosphorous the leading causes of the number one pollution problem in water bodies in the United States.

-this project reduces nitrogen loading in rivers that causes hypoxia all along the atlantic seaboard and in the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENTS -the algae sequesters carbon: algae fix carbon. While the carbon will be release after their existence, carbon can be cycled additional times before release to the atmosphere. (this is a summary of numerous academic and corporate research)

-this system sequesters greenhouse gases: the fixed nitrogen removes it from the nitrogen cycle, where it becomes N20 and NO, both contributors to smog. While the carbon will be release after their existence, carbon can be cycled additional times before release to the atmosphere. (this is a summary of numerous academic and corporate research)

- this system reduces soil acidity caused by nitrates carrying away calcium, magnesium and potassium from soils. Acid soil has less capacity to buffer streams from acid rain. (ecological society of america - nitrogen cycle) -this system protects biodiversity: rising nitrogen levels create nutrient availabilities favoring non-native plants over native plants in their home range. Nitrogen compounds have seen a tenfold increase in the last fifty years in the environment. (ecological society of america - nitrogen cycle)

image source: MIT

PETROLEUM USE REDUCTION -this project creates dry algal mass that can be returned to fertilizer companies for reuse, thus reducing petroleum use in the creation of fertilizer. (this is a summary of numerous academic and corporate research) -oils in the algae can be used for biodiesel, a one-acre open pond will create between 10,000 and 15,000 gallons a year, a typical bag silo system will create four times as much biodiesel fuel, thus reducing fossil fuel use, and perhaps reducing the inefficient uses of resources. Algae will mutliply three times in a 24-hour period. No other biological source known comes close to the biodiesel amounts that algae can make. (this is a summary of numerous academic and corporate research)

-this project can compensate for petroleum losses. biodiesel can offset losses from dwindling oil reserves. (this is a summary of numerous academic and corporate research)

ECONOMIC BENEFITS -algae is another commodity farmers can sell, for its re-use and for its fuel. materials from the algae farm can be shipped along with grain, corn and other commodities for pressing for oil. (various research from academies and biodiesel companies)

-this project reduces costs for agriculture: Farmers spent $10 billion on fertilizer last year. This use is predicted to be $20 billion by the year 2030. 21 million tons of fertilizer were applied in the Midwest alone, with almost half being lost to air or water upon application. Reuse of algae, and the reapplication to fertilize soil will reduce need for fertilizer for agriculture. (USDA Bulletin)

While each gain may come in small percentages, these percentages are of a significantly epic amount of land, water, petroleum and nutrients.

-this system can potentially improve human health: Many Midwestern towns have ‘Blue Baby Alerts’ during the summer because of the high nitrate loads in the drinking water. (interview with michael pollan for ‘the future of food’)

the benefits of using agricultural runoff for biodiesel

silos wrapped in bag system now used by biodiesel industry: a ditch power for the algae system with an expected surplus of power that directs runoff to a treatment and holding area by the silos, for pumping can be given back to the grid, or used for other purposes such as up into the bag system. Photovoltaics mounted upon the silos provide night lighting of the silos and the system to maintain production.