Synthetic Biology and the Possibilities in Achieving a Plant Demand and Soil Buffer Capacity Adapted Nitrogen (N) Recycling

The world demand for nitrogen (N) fertilizer increases since Haber and Bosch’s invention of technical nitrogen fixation (TNF) with an average growth of 1.9% per annum or an amount of 117.116 tons N in 2019 (FAO in World Fertilizer Trends and Outlook to 2020, 2017, [34]). Landscapes not only receive TNF, but also the wastes from industrial livestock farmingIndustrial livestock farming, an increasing industrialisation, a growing population and from overloading wastewater treatment plantsWastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) by the production of sewage sludge. Thus, the administration is forced to handle and for instance the German capital Berlin hired 14.364 ha land in 1913 and installed a sewage farmSewage farm for spreading Berlin’s wastewater. In 1926, the amount of heavy-metal polluted wastewater produced by Berlin’s industry was 7.3%. In 1988, still 34% of all accruing wastewater was spread on the fields [61]. From Berlin’s nutrient over satiated sewage farmSewage farm soil, alarming amounts of nitrate flew into nearby glacial valley wells, surface waters and riverbank filtrates, which are used as drinking waterDrinking water sources and thus, in 1988 the wastewater spreading on the sewage farmSewage farm stopped. Synthetic biologySynthetic biology is a promising approach to reduce soil N buffer capacity over satiating concentrations. The possibilities of synthetic biologySynthetic biology techniques in the focus of this chapter are discussed towards curing N recycling related impacts on health, soil management and wasterwater treatment plants.