LOAD OF SOIL AND WATER BY ATMOSPHERIC NIT ROGEN DEPOSITION

After comprehensive retrofitting of power plants with flue gas desulfu rization systems has been completed in Germany, nitrogen oxides (NO(x) ) and ammonia became the most important air pollutants. Pollution cont rol measures to reduce the release of these substances which predomina ntly originate from traffic and agriculture had only marginal success. Some way or other, emissions into the atmosphere return to the ground and entail here generally harmful side effects. After introductory re marks on nitrogen as an air contaminant, the present potential in the derivation of emittor/receptor-relationships for nitrogen compounds ar e described. Subsequently, the nitrogen deposition rates are quantifie d and evaluated.