Academic Journal
Risk-benefit ranking of nitrification and urease inhibitors applied to agricultural soils using the PROMETHEE method.
| Title: | Risk-benefit ranking of nitrification and urease inhibitors applied to agricultural soils using the PROMETHEE method. |
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| Authors: | Wang X; School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland., Forrestal P; Teagasc, Soils, Environment and Land Use Department, Crops Environment and Land Use Programme, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland., Richards K; Teagasc, Soils, Environment and Land Use Department, Crops Environment and Land Use Programme, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland., Matse DT; Teagasc, Soils, Environment and Land Use Department, Crops Environment and Land Use Programme, Johnstown Castle, Co., Wexford, Ireland., Cummins E; School of Biosystems and Food Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Ireland. |
| Source: | Integrated environmental assessment and management [Integr Environ Assess Manag] 2026 Jul 01; Vol. 22 (4), pp. 1159-1168. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Country of Publication: England NLM ID: 101234521 Publication Model: Print Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1551-3793 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 15513777 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Integr Environ Assess Manag Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: Pensacola, FL : Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), c2005- |
| MeSH Terms: | Nitrification*/drug effects , Urease*/antagonists & inhibitors , Agriculture*/methods , Enzyme Inhibitors*/toxicity, Soil/chemistry ; Fertilizers ; Risk Assessment ; Nitrogen ; Organophosphorus Compounds |
| Abstract: | Nitrification and urease inhibitors (NUIs) are chemical compounds that can reduce nitrogen loss and potentially enhance fertilizer nitrogen use efficiency when combined appropriately with nitrogen fertilizers. Many studies have highlighted their agricultural and environmental benefits, including improving crop yields, reducing nitrate leaching, and lowering nitrous oxide emissions. However, their unintended presence in the environment (e.g., surface water) and the food chain has raised concerns. Individual inhibitors exhibit different levels of risks and benefits that need to be evaluated separately. In this study, a risk-benefit ranking was conducted to prioritize 10 NUIs based on environmental exposure, toxicity, and benefit through the preference ranking organization method for enrichment evaluation. In general, the urease inhibitor N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide (NBPT) was identified as the most preferred, with a net flow value (φ) of 0.11 in the risk-benefit ranking of all NUIs, due to its significant agricultural and environmental benefits with low risk from its short half-life. This assessment was supported by the fact that nitrification inhibitors can sometimes increase ammonia emissions, reducing their overall effectiveness in improving nitrogen use efficiency as compared with urease inhibitors. Our results also illustrated that the nitrification inhibitor dicyandiamide (DCD) was a recommended alternative (φ = 0.08) among the evaluated nitrification inhibitors. This study assists stakeholders to balance the benefits and potential risks regarding the environment and human health issues associated with the application of NUIs in agriculture. (© The Author(s) 2026. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.) |
| Grant Information: | 2021R447 Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Ireland |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: nitrification inhibitors; nitrogen use efficiency; nitrous oxide emission; risk assessment; urease inhibitors |
| Substance Nomenclature: | EC 3.5.1.5 (Urease) 0 (Fertilizers) 0 (Soil) N762921K75 (Nitrogen) 0 (N-(n-butyl) thiophosphoric triamide) 0 (Enzyme Inhibitors) 0 (Organophosphorus Compounds) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260219 Date Completed: 20260706 Latest Revision: 20260712 |
| Update Code: | 20260713 |
| DOI: | 10.1093/inteam/vjag032 |
| PMID: | 41712747 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1551-3793 |
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| DOI: | 10.1093/inteam/vjag032 |