Ammonia released into the environment is a major problem. Agriculture is considered the most prolific polluter – it is responsible for 95 percent of these emissions in Germany. The colorless, acrid gas is toxic in higher concentrations.
Ammonia released into the environment is a major problem. Agriculture is considered the most prolific polluter – it is responsible for 95 percent of these emissions in Germany. The colorless, acrid gas is toxic in higher concentrations. It can moreover contribute to the eutrophication of water bodies and form particulate matter by reacting with other air pollutants. Its conversion to nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas that is about 300 times more harmful to the climate than carbon dioxide, is considered particularly problematic. Nitrous oxide is estimated to contribute around ten percent to global warming.
The EU therefore now imposes national ammonia emission limits on its member states. But how can these be achieved without farmers having to carry out extremely costly new constructions or conversions of their livestock buildings? "Over the past three years, we have been testing a technology that can be used to retrofit existing barns," explains Dr. Veronika Overmeyer of the Institute for Agricultural Engineering (ILT) at the University of Bonn.
Read more at University Of Bonn
Image: Study author - Dr. Veronika Overmeyer measures the pH value of the slurry. Credit: © Veronika Overmeyer / University of Bonn
