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 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).
— source Rice University | Jun 21, 2022