International Industrial Ecology Day 2021
Input-output based analysis on reactive nitrogen demands in Japanese industry
Reactive nitrogen, which is obtained by fixing molecular nitrogen, is indispensable in food production and in the production of chemical products.
There have been many studies on the environmental impact of reactive nitrogen.
Research on the environmental impacts reactive nitrogen is being conducted on many fronts, in agriculture, and in studies on the soil, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.
However, it is difficult to track the reactive nitrogen that flows through the complex economic structure of industries since a wide variety of products is involved.
Therefore, it is not easy to understand how the demand for reactive nitrogen changes with changes in demand for different industries.
In this study, a Nutrient-extended Input-Output Analysis (NutrIO) was conducted to identify the trend of the demand for reactive nitrogen as a raw material for each final demand (Nr intensity) and the Nr demand of each industry.
The chemical fiber industry had an enormous Nr intensity (234 kg-N(million JPY)-1) in the manufacturing industry, suggesting a high sensitivity to final demand.
In the service industry, the medical service industry was outstanding in terms of both Nr intensity (3.2 kg-N (million JPY)-1) and Nr demand (132 Gg-N).
Because the population is aging in Japan, the demand for reactive nitrogen in the medical service industry is expected to increase, the management of reactive nitrogen in the medical service industry is critical.
Products containing reactive nitrogen that accumulate and are used in society are eventually discharged into the environment. The NutrIO model serves as a guide for the management of reactive nitrogen derived from industrial activity.
This method can also be applied to other countries and can be used to analyze the exchange of reactive nitrogen through products among multiple countries.
There have been many studies on the environmental impact of reactive nitrogen.
Research on the environmental impacts reactive nitrogen is being conducted on many fronts, in agriculture, and in studies on the soil, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.
However, it is difficult to track the reactive nitrogen that flows through the complex economic structure of industries since a wide variety of products is involved.
Therefore, it is not easy to understand how the demand for reactive nitrogen changes with changes in demand for different industries.
In this study, a Nutrient-extended Input-Output Analysis (NutrIO) was conducted to identify the trend of the demand for reactive nitrogen as a raw material for each final demand (Nr intensity) and the Nr demand of each industry.
The chemical fiber industry had an enormous Nr intensity (234 kg-N(million JPY)-1) in the manufacturing industry, suggesting a high sensitivity to final demand.
In the service industry, the medical service industry was outstanding in terms of both Nr intensity (3.2 kg-N (million JPY)-1) and Nr demand (132 Gg-N).
Because the population is aging in Japan, the demand for reactive nitrogen in the medical service industry is expected to increase, the management of reactive nitrogen in the medical service industry is critical.
Products containing reactive nitrogen that accumulate and are used in society are eventually discharged into the environment. The NutrIO model serves as a guide for the management of reactive nitrogen derived from industrial activity.
This method can also be applied to other countries and can be used to analyze the exchange of reactive nitrogen through products among multiple countries.
Author(s)
| Name | Affiliation |
|---|---|
| Kiwamu Katagiri | Tohoku University |
| Azusa Oita | |
| Kazuyo Matsubae | Tohoku University |