Switchgrass is a promising bioenergy feedstock, but industrial-scale production may lead to negative environmental effects. This study considers one such potential consequence: the life cycle monetized damages to human health from air pollution. We estimate increases in mortality from long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), which is emitted directly (“primary PM_2.5”) and forms in the atmosphere (“secondary PM_2.5”) from precursors of nitrogen oxides (NO_x), sulfur oxides (SO_x), ammonia (NH₃), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Changes in atmospheric concentrations of PM_2.5 (primary + secondary) from on-site production and supporting supply chain activities are considered at 2694 locations (counties in the Central and Eastern US), for two biomass yields (9 and 20 Mg ha⁻¹), three nitrogen fertilizer rates (50, 100, and 150 kg ha⁻¹), and two nitrogen fertilizer types (urea and urea ammonium nitrate). Results indicate that on-site processes dominate life-cycle emissions of NH₃, NO_x, primary PM_2.5, and VOCs, whereas SO_x is primarily emitted in upstream supply chain processes. Total air quality impacts of switchgrass production, which are dominated by NH₃ emissions from fertilizer application, range widely depending on location, from 2 to 553 $ Mg⁻¹ (mean: 45) of dry switchgrass at a biomass yield of 20 Mg ha⁻¹ and fertilizer application of 100 kg ha⁻¹ N applied as urea. Switching to urea ammonium nitrate solution lowers damages to 2 to 329 $ Mg⁻¹ (mean: 28). This work points to human health damage from air pollution as a potentially large social cost from switchgrass production and suggests means of mitigating that impact via strategic geographical deployment and management. Furthermore, by distinguishing the origin of atmospheric emissions, this paper advances the current emerging literature on ecosystem services and disservices from agricultural and bioenergy systems.

柳枝is是一种有前途的生物能源原料，但是工业规模的生产可能会导致负面的环境影响。这项研究考虑了这样一个潜在的后果：生命周期将空气污染对人类健康的损害货币化。我们估计由于长期暴露于细颗粒物（PM _2.5）而导致的死亡率增加，所述细颗粒物直接排放（“初级PM _2.5 ”）并在大气中（“次级PM _2.5 ”）由氮氧化物（NO _x）的前体形成。），硫氧化物（SO _x），氨（NH ₃）和挥发性有机化合物（VOC）。大气中PM _2.5浓度的变化在2694个地点（美国中部和东部的县）考虑了来自现场生产和支持供应链活动的（主要+次要），两种生物质产量（9和20 Mg ha ^-1），三种氮肥用量（50） ，100和150 kg ha ^-1）和两种氮肥类型（尿素和尿素硝酸铵）。结果表明，现场过程在NH ₃，NO _x，主要PM _2.5和VOC的生命周期排放中占主导地位，而SO _x则主要在上游供应链过程中排放。柳枝production生产对空气总质量的影响主要由NH _3决定施肥产生的排放量，广泛地取决于位置，在生物量为20 Mg ha ^-1和施肥100 kg ha ^-1 N作为尿素的情况下，干燥的柳枝2的Mg ^-1（平均：45）为2至553美元（平均45）。改用尿素硝酸铵溶液可将损害降低到2至329 $ Mg ^-1（平均：28）。这项工作指出空气污染对人体健康的危害是柳枝production生产可能带来的巨大社会成本，并提出了通过战略性地理部署和管理来减轻这种影响的方法。此外，通过区分大气排放的来源，本文提出了有关农业和生物能源系统的生态系统服务和损害的最新文献。