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Nitrous oxide, the forgotten greenhouse gas

23 - 24 May 2011 09:00 - 17:00

Organised by Professor David Richardson, ProfessorAndrew Thomson OBE FRS, Professor Andrew Watson FRS and Jules Pretty OBE

Many soil bacterial use nitrate to support respiration, especially after application of nitrogen fertilizer, leading to production of the potent and long lived greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O). This meeting will review our current understanding of the enzymatic and bacterial processes by which N2O can be produced or destroyed and discuss approaches for combating N2O release.

Download the programme here (PDF).

Biographies and audio recordings are available below.

Organisers

  • Professor David Richardson, University of East Anglia, UK

  • Professor Andrew Thomson OBE FRS, University of East Anglia, UK

    After completing his doctoral studies in Oxford with RJP Williams, FRS, Andrew Thomson worked on the effect of platinum salts on bacterial growth processes in the laboratory of B Rosenberg, Michigan State University, between1965-67. His discovery of cis-dichlorodiammineplatinum(II), an potent inhibitor of cell division, led to its widespread clinical use as cis-Platin, a highly effective drug against testicular and other cancers.

    At the University of East Anglia (UEA), Norwich, Andrew Thomson pioneered the development of magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy as a selective probe of the oxidation, spin and ligation states of metal cofactors in proteins. The method, together with electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR), both powerful in structural and mechanistic studies, was applied to a wide range of metallo-enzymes from the bacterial denitrification pathway. With the late Professor Colin Greenwood he established at UEA an interdisciplinary Centre for Metalloprotein Spectroscopy and Biology (CMSB) with faculty members drawn from the Schools of Biological and Chemical Sciences to explore the roles of transition metal ions in biological cells.  

  • Professor Jules Pretty OBE, University of Essex, UK

  • Professor Andrew Watson FRS, University of Exeter, UK

    Andrew Watson is an Earth System scientist, with a special interest in the processes controlling atmospheric CO2 and oxygen concentrations, and their connection to the Earth’s climate. He has contributed to a wide variety of topics, including the atmospheres of other planets, physics and biogeochemistry of the oceans, paleoclimatology and astrobiology. His research group at the University of Exeter specialises in making and interpreting ocean and atmosphere measurements to high accuracy. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2003.

Schedule

The role of N2O derived from biofuels in earth’s climate Born in 1933 in Amsterdam, Paul J. Crutzen was trained as a civil engineer and worked with the Bridge Construction Bureau of the City of Amsterdam. In 1959 he joined Stockholm University (MISU) to study meteorology and atmospheric chemistry. His research has been especially concerned with the natural and anthropogenically disturbed photochemistry of ozone in the stratosphere and troposphere. Thereby he identified the importance of nitrogen oxides emitted by fossil fuel and biomass burning, especially in the tropics, as important sources of air pollution with potential impacts on ozone and Earth climate. He served as Director of Research at the National Center of Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, 1977-1980, and thereafter – until his retirement - (1980-2000) at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz. Until April 2008 he did part-time research at the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In 1995 he received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work on atmospheric ozone.

Professor Keith Smith, University of Edinburgh, UK

Professor Keith Smith, University of Edinburgh, UK

Born in 1933 in Amsterdam, Paul J. Crutzen was trained as a civil engineer and worked with the Bridge Construction Bureau of the City of Amsterdam. In 1959 he joined Stockholm University (MISU) to study meteorology and atmospheric chemistry. His research has been especially concerned with the natural and anthropogenically disturbed photochemistry of ozone in the stratosphere and troposphere. Thereby he identified the importance of nitrogen oxides emitted by fossil fuel and biomass burning, especially in the tropics, as important sources of air pollution with potential impacts on ozone and Earth climate. He served as Director of Research at the National Center of Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, 1977-1980, and thereafter – until his retirement - (1980-2000) at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz. Until April 2008 he did part-time research at the University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography. In 1995 he received the Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work on atmospheric ozone. 
Listen to the audio (mp3)
Nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment systems Dr Zhiguo Yuan is professor in environmental engineering, and Deputy Director of the Advanced Water Management Centre at The University of Queensland, Australia. His main research topics are biological nutrient removal from wastewater, greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems including both collection and treatment systems, and corrosion and odour management in sewer networks.

Over the past 14 years, he has published over 150 journal papers and presented at numerous national and international conferences. His publications have attracted over 2000 citations to date. His current h-index is 26.

Prof Yuan is a senior editor of the IWA journal of Water Science and Technology. In July 2010, he was appointed one of the 34 inaugural IWA Fellows.

Professor Zhiguo Yuan, University of Queensland, Australia

Professor Zhiguo Yuan, University of Queensland, Australia

"Dr Zhiguo Yuan is professor in environmental engineering, and Deputy Director of the Advanced Water Management Centre at The University of Queensland, Australia. His main research topics are biological nutrient removal from wastewater, greenhouse gas emissions from wastewater systems including both collection and treatment systems, and corrosion and odour management in sewer networks.

Over the past 14 years, he has published over 150 journal papers and presented at numerous national and international conferences. His publications have attracted over 2000 citations to date. His current h-index is 26.

Prof Yuan is a senior editor of the IWA journal of Water Science and Technology. In July 2010, he was appointed one of the 34 inaugural IWA Fellows."

Listen to the audio (mp3)
Session 1 Discussion II
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Welcome

Professor David Richardson, University of East Anglia, UK

Professor David Richardson, University of East Anglia, UK
Listen to the audio (mp3)
Ozone depletion due to nitrous oxide Robert Portmann is a research physicist working at the Chemical Sciences Division at the NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado, studying middle atmospheric climate change. He is a specialist in middle atmospheric modeling with a focus on processes affecting ozone, including the interactions of halogens and greenhouse gases. He has carried out important studies on the ozone hole, ozone trends at mid-latitudes, and the effects of volcanic aerosol on ozone. In addition, he has studied the radiative forcing and global warming potentials of many chemicals proposed as halogen replacements. He was a coauthor on three WMO Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion.

Professor Robert W Portmann, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA

Professor Robert W Portmann, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA

Robert Portmann is a research physicist working at the Chemical Sciences Division at the NOAA Earth Systems Research Laboratory in Boulder, Colorado. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado, studying middle atmospheric climate change. He is a specialist in middle atmospheric modeling with a focus on processes affecting ozone, including the interactions of halogens and greenhouse gases. He has carried out important studies on the ozone hole, ozone trends at mid-latitudes, and the effects of volcanic aerosol on ozone. In addition, he has studied the radiative forcing and global warming potentials of many chemicals proposed as halogen replacements. He was a coauthor on three WMO Scientific Assessments of Ozone Depletion. 
Listen to the audio (mp3)
Session 1 Discussion I
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Session 1 Discussion III
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