Dangerous Nitrogen Pollution Could be Halved

The most important fertilizer for producing food is, at the same time, one of the most important risks for human health: nitrogen.  Chemical compounds containing reactive nitrogen are major drivers of air and water pollution worldwide, and hence of diseases like asthma or cancer.

If no action is taken, nitrogen pollution could rise by 20 percent by 2050 in a middle-of-the-road scenario, according to a study now published by scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.  Ambitious mitigation efforts, however, could decrease the pollution by 50 percent.  The analysis is the very first to quantify this.

Dangerous Nitrogen Pollution Could be Halved