Air pollution: role of nitrogen oxides emission from soil underestimated

Soil emissions occur primarily occur in equatorial Africa at the beginning of the rainy season and in the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere during summer
Nitrogen oxides produce ozone smog, contribute to acid rain and play a role in global climate change

NITROGEN OXIDES produced by huge fires and fossil fuel combustion are a major component of air pollution.

They are the primary ingredients in ground-level ozone, a pollutant harmful to human health and vegetation.

But new research led by a University of Washington atmospheric scientist shows that, in some regions, nitrogen oxides emitted by the soil are much greater than expected and could play a substantially larger role in seasonal air pollution than previously believed.

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