1. The Nitrogen Metabolism of Durham New Hampshire Connor Reed Abstract Acknowledgements Funding and support from the UNH Leitzel Center RETE program and the NSF #1132648 Advisors: Dr. Kevin Gardner and Deana Aulisio RETE program advisor: Dr. Steve Hale Special thanks to Durham Town Offices, Alix Contosta, and UNH for information and support Transportation Lawn/Field Fertilizers Heating Buildings Agriculture Durham, NH Atmospheric Deposition 6.04 Nkg/ha/yr multiplied by Durham, NH area 77,000 lbs UNH 2,810 lbs 11.3 % Athletics 56 % 1,568 lbs Grounds 44 % 1,242 lbs Residential Properties 22,179.76 lbs 88.7 % 25,000 lbs 255,000 lbs Animal Products 156,785 lbs 61.4 % Vegetables 17,800 lbs 7 % Nuts 2,836 lbs 1.1 % Fruits 8,000 lbs 2.5 % Dairy 49,564 lbs 19.4 % Food Local Farms 8,165 lbs 69 % UNH Dairy Farm 3,688 lbs 31 % 11,800 lbs 35,000 lbs Main Street 5,100 lbs 14 % Route 108 23,700 lbs 68 % Madbury Rd. 5,800 lbs 17 % Faculty Rd. 327 lbs 1 % 200 lbs UNH 58 lbs Rest of Durham 136 lbs 63.1 % 2.9 % 8.7 % 19.1 % 0.1 % 6.2 % Sectors N-lb/yr % Agriculture11853.3362.9 Food255142.8563.1 Transportation35012.818.7 Lawn/field care24989.766.2 Heating Buildings403.75680.1 Aerial Deposition7707819.1 Totals404480.5108100 400,000 lbs/yr *some numbers rounded to show approximate quantities Potential Hazards of Nitrogen Pollution -Algae blooms -Oxygen supply depletion -Death of native species -Drinking water pollution Source: http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org/LearnTheIssues/ WaterPollution/Nitrogen Conclusions The next step of this research is to determine where the nitrogen inputs are going: What percentages of the nitrogen inputs from each sector are going directly into Great Bay, the water treatment plant of Durham, the atmosphere, plant life, animal life, and/or other places? Further research could help to illustrate a more complete picture of the nitrogen flows in and out of Durham NH and other communities by tracking these flows from input to output and determining community actions that impact these flows. A collection of substantial sources of nitrogen inputs to Durham, NH were categorized and quantified for the purpose of organizing a maximum potential input of nitrogen into the Durham, NH boundaries. Inputs of nitrogen from a metabolic viewpoint can be used to help better realize sectors of a community where inputs are occurring. These sectors included agriculture, food needs, atmospheric deposition, transportation, lawn/field care, and heating buildings. Data were based on town census records, the Durham Energy Commission Report released 2008, interviews with Durham and UNH officials, scientific journal articles and graduate student dissertations, and government studies and databases. The input-output approach to N-flows allows for a unique standpoint of suggestions for a reduction of N into Durham from the sources described, for example: A plan to reduce input of N by 20 % -Reduce the amount of animal products in diet: A 20% decrease would take roughly 50,000 lbs or 12. 5 % of N out of total input -Reduce the need for residential fertilizers by 90 %: reducing N based fertilizers from 22,000 lbs/yr to 2,000 lbs/yr represents 5 % of the current total input -Replace short car trips with walking or bicycling: According to a study by NHTS, trips under 11 miles in 2009 accounted for 88.35 % of trips, replacing half of these trips with biking or walking would reduce nitrogen input by more than 15,000 lbs or 4 %