An international research team asserts
that future ozone levels may be high enough to damage vegetation, and will be
hazardous to both plants and people. Researchers created a predictive model for
future air quality by assessing projections in climate change, U.S. land use,
and emissions reductions. Through this model, they ultimately found that though
ozone levels are not uniform throughout the country, the expected emission reduction are likely to be offset by factors including
wildfires, land use, and climate change.
Researchers analyzed two scenarios
established by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: one in which
greenhouse gasses peaked in 2040 and then fell by 2050, and another in which
greenhouse gases rose until 2100. In both these scenarios, when researchers
measured the cumulative impact of ozone over three months in the summer, they
discovered that ozone levels would be high enough to disrupt photosynthesis and
cause damage to plants. During these months, nitrogen oxide emissions, in
particular, tend to rise and react with sunlight consequentially creating
ozone. Thus, researchers emphasize that control of these emissions will be a
valuable in managing ozone levels.
Additionally, while these predictions focus
on the United States, researchers believe these predictions are an indication
of a growing global threat to air quality. Essentially, poor air quality does
not bode well for agriculture and may prove to jeopardize human health,
particularly through food shortages. Thus, researchers emphasize that poor air
quality will not be a localized problem, but has the widespread potential of
effecting ecosystem and humans alike.
University of Sheffield. "Future air quality could put plants, people at risk." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 6 November 2014. .
Posts
