Industrial Ecology of Earth Resources

1. EAEE E4001 Industrial Ecology of Earth Resources The Grand Cycles

2. The carbon cycle: Global carbon inventory LITHOSPHERE rocks and sediments: 1.4 x 108 billion tons fossil fuels: 23000 billion tons oil equivalent DETRITUS soil, peat, litter: 1750 billion tons BIOSPHERE plants: 830 billion tons animals: 3 billion tons HYDROSPHERE dissolved inorganics: 36700 billion tons ATMOSPHERE carbon dioxide: 635 billion tons

3. The carbon cycle: Pre-industrial annual transport LAND OCEANS 60 billion tons 40 billion tons ATMOSPHERE To atmosphere: CO2 by decomposition and respiration From atmosphere: CO2 by photosynthesis Human impact now: 6.5 billion tons of carbon (annual increase of 1.6 ppm CO2; +25% in 20th century)

4. Simple representation of carbon bio-reactions Carbon to atmosphere: decomposition and respiration C6H10O4 + 6.5 O2 = 6CO2 + 5H2O +energy Carbon back to land and oceans: Photosynthesis 6CO2 + 5H2O + sunlight = C6H10O4 + 6.5O2

5. Global generation of CO2

6. Sources of anthropogenic carbon dioxide

7. The sulfur cycle: Global inventory • LITHOSPHERE • in elemental form • as hydrated calcium sulfide (gypsum) • sedimentary rocks: 7800 trillion tons • oceanic rocks : 2375 trillion tons HYDROSPHERE dissolved sulfate ions: 1280 trillion tons ATMOSPHERE mostly carbonyl sulfide (COS): 6 million tons

8. The sulfur cycle: Pre-industrial annual transport LAND OCEANS as reduced sulfide or dusts: 55 million tons as SO2 from volcanoes: 20 million tons as ocean spray: 140 million tons ATMOSPHERE

9. The sulfur cycle: Global human activities • SO2 emissions to atmosphere: 93 million tons* • increased dust emissions: 10 million tons • fertilization: 29 million tons • wastewater emissions: 13 million tons coals: 1-4% S; oils: 0.1-0.4%; metal sulfides Human impact now: +150 million tons of sulfur (about the same as pre-industrial flow of S)

10. The nitrogen cycle: Global inventory LITHOSPHERE rocks and sediments: 0.032 trillion tons HYDROSPHERE dissolved nitrogen: 0.71 trillion tons ATMOSPHERE nitrogen gas (N2): 3900 trillion tons (Atmosphere: 78% N2, 21% O2, <1% A, etc.)

11. The nitrogen cycle: Pre-industrial annual mass flow LAND OCEANS transformation of N2 to organic N by plants and animals: 90-130 mill t/y lightning: 3-5 mill t/y Biofixation in marine systems: estimates range from 14-200 mill t/y ATMOSPHERE

12. The nitrogen cycle: Global human activities • production of fertilizers: 80 mill t/y • agriculture, animal breeding: 40 mill t/y • fossil fuel combustion: 20 mill t/y Human impact now: +140 million tons of nitrogen (about 50% of pre-industrial flow of N)

13. The phosphorus cycle: Global inventory LITHOSPHERE rocks and sediments, continents: 19 billion tons , ocean: 8.4 x 105 billion tons DETRITUS soil, peat, litter: 96-120 billion tons BIOSPHERE continents: 2.6 billion tons oceans: 0.05-0.12 billion tons HYDROSPHERE fresh water: 0.09 billion tons oceans: 80 billion tons

14. The phosphorus cycle: Present flow of P, tons per year Major anthropogenic input: 14 mill tons (fertilizers) LAND Erosion:4-7 mill dissolved: 1.5-4 mill particulate: 17 mill FRESH WATER erosion and deposition of dust: 4.3 mill OCEAN WATER Sedimentation: 2-13 mill ATMOSPHERE

15. Conclusions Industrial Ecology is a virgin field pregnant of possibilities!