Recently, voices have risen in Western countries calling for raising the price of meat to reduce the amount of meat purchased, because the use of nitrogen in fertilizers represents a health risk and increases the pollution of water and soil in general.
The use of nitrogen in livestock is a major problem, as the percentage of pastures is constantly decreasing despite the increased demand for purchasing meat, which forces farmers to rely on feed containing nitrogen extracted from animal waste, which is reused again as fertilizers.
Nitrogen is found naturally in the soil, but if its percentage in fertilizer increases, it will leave bad effects, cause health damage and pollute water, and it may lead to the disappearance of certain types of living organisms.
When nitrates leak into drinking water, they lead to an increased risk of cancer, and vegetables that contain nitrates – such as spinach and lettuce – pose a health risk to infants in particular, as it is difficult for them to secrete sufficient intestinal acids to prevent nitrates from turning into the toxic substance nitrite.
Moreover, nitrogen oxide resulting from the fuel combustion process affects the respiratory system and causes circulatory problems. In addition, the use of nitrogen in fertilizers leads to heavy algae growth and lack of water drainage, which means the death of aquatic plants, as there is a lack of oxygen in the water and high hydrogen sulfide. Kills fish and plants.
The percentage of nitrogen in the air is 78%, and proteins, enzymes and DNA of all organisms contain nitrogen. But nitrates (nitrogen oxide) produced by the combustion of fossil fuels cause enormous damage to the environment.
In view of all these risks, the voices of activists and scholars in Western countries are rising to demand an increase in meat prices in the hope of reducing the rate of purchase, especially since citizens there consume large quantities of meat at a rate much higher than that set by the World Health Organization.
