Agricultural pollution comes from the prairie, but its economic impact on humans is a problem for cities.
Agricultural pollution comes from the prairie, but its economic impact on humans is a problem for cities.
A study led by environmental scientists at Rice University’s George R. Brown School of Engineering puts numbers to the toll of reactive nitrogen species produced in America’s croplands.
The study led by Daniel Cohan, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, and graduate student Lina Luo quantifies emissions of nitrogen oxides, ammonia and nitrous oxide from fertilized soils over three years (2011, 2012 and 2017) and compares their impacts by region on air quality, health and climate.
While seasonal and regional impacts differ across types of emission, the study found total annual damages from ammonia were much larger overall -- at $72 billion -- than those from nitrogen oxides ($12 billion) and nitrous oxide ($13 billion).
Read more at: Rice University
A study by Rice University environmental scientists analyzed the cost of reactive nitrogen emissions from fertilized agriculture and their risks to populations and climate. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) and ammonia (NH3) react to create air pollution in the form of particulate matter and ozone, while nitrous oxide (N2O) contributes to global warming and stratospheric ozone depletion. (Photo credit: Lina Luo/Cohan Research Group)
