Increasing soil nitrous acid emissions driven by climate and fertilization change aggravate global ozone pollution

Yanan Wang, Qinyi Li, Yurun Wang, Chuanhua Ren, Alfonso Saiz-Lopez, Likun Xue and Tao Wang ()
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Yanan Wang: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Qinyi Li: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Yurun Wang: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Chuanhua Ren: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Alfonso Saiz-Lopez: Spanish National Research Council (CSIC)
Likun Xue: Shandong University
Tao Wang: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract Soil microbial nitrous acid (HONO) production is an important source of atmospheric reactive nitrogen that affects air quality and climate. However, long-term global soil HONO emissions driven by climate change and fertilizer use have not been quantified. Here, we derive the global soil HONO emissions over the past four decades and evaluate their impacts on ozone (O3) and vegetation. Results show that climate change and the increased fertilizer use enhanced soil HONO emissions from 9.4 Tg N in 1980 to 11.5 Tg N in 2016. Chemistry-climate model simulations show that soil HONO emissions increased global surface O3 mixing ratios by 2.5% (up to 29%) and vegetation risk to O3, with increasing impact during 1980s-2016 in low-anthropogenic-emission regions. With future decreasing anthropogenic emissions, the soil HONO impact on air quality and vegetation is expected to increase. We thus recommend consideration of soil HONO emissions in strategies for mitigating global air pollution.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57161-6

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