Potent greenhouse gas produced by industry could be readily abated with existing technologies
Affordable and available technologies can curb rising nitrous oxide
emissions

Date:
July 5, 2023
Source:
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Summary:
Researchers have found that one method of reducing greenhouse
gas emissions is available, affordable, and capable of being
implemented right now. Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and
ozone-depleting substance, could be readily abated with existing
technology applied to industrial sources.


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FULL STORY ========================================================================== Researchers have found that one method of reducing greenhouse gas
emissions is available, affordable, and capable of being implemented
right now. Nitrous oxide, a potent greenhouse gas and ozone-depleting substance, could be readily abated with existing technology applied to industrial sources.

"The urgency of climate change requires that all greenhouse gas emissions
be abated as quickly as is technologically and economically feasible,"
said lead author Eric Davidson, a professor with the University of
Maryland Center for Environmental Science. "Limiting nitrous oxide in
an agricultural context is complicated, but mitigating it in industry
is affordable and available right now. Here is a low-hanging fruit
that we can pluck quickly." When greenhouse gases are released into
the atmosphere, they trap the heat from the sun, leading to a warming
planet. In terms of emissions, nitrous oxide is third among greenhouse
gases, topped only by carbon dioxide and methane. Also known as laughing
gas, it has a global warming potential nearly 300 times that of carbon
dioxide and stays in the atmosphere for more than 100 years. It also
destroys the protective ozone layer in the stratosphere, so reducing
nitrous oxide emissions provides a double benefit for the environment
and humanity.

Nitrous oxide concentration in the atmosphere has increased at an
accelerating rate in recent decades, mostly from increasing agricultural emissions, which contribute about two-thirds of the global human-caused
nitrous oxide. However, agricultural sources are challenging to reduce. In contrast, for the industry and energy sectors, low-cost technologies
already exist to reduce nitrous oxide emissions to nearly zero.

Industrial nitrous oxide emissions from the chemical industry are
primarily by- products from the production of adipic acid (used in the production of nylon) and nitric acid (used to make nitrogen fertilizers,
adipic acid, and explosives). Emissions also come from fossil fuel
combustion used in manufacturing and internal combustion engines used
in cars and trucks.

"We know that abatement is feasible and affordable. The European Union's emissions trading system made it financially attractive to companies to
remove nitrous oxide emissions in all adipic acid and nitric acid plants,"
said co- author Wilfried Winiwarter of the International Institute for
Applied Systems Analysis. "The German government is also helping to fund abatement of nitrous oxide emissions from nitric acid plants in several low-income and middle-income countries." The private sector could also
play a key role in nitrous oxide emissions reduction, encouraged by trends
in consumer preferences for purchasing climate- friendly products. For
example, 65% of the nitrous emissions embodied in nylon products globally
are used in passenger cars and light vehicles. Automobile manufacturers
could require supply chains to source nylon exclusively from plants that
deploy efficient nitrous oxide abatement technology.

"Urgent abatement of industrial sources of nitrous oxide" is published
in Nature Climate Change by Eric Davidson of the University of Maryland
Center for Environmental Science, Spark Climate Solutions, Wilfried
Winiwarter of the International Institute of Applied Systems Analysis,
Austria, and the Institute for Environmental Engineering, University of
Zielona Go'ra, Poland.

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Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Maryland_Center_for_Environmental_Science.

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========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Eric A. Davidson, Wilfried Winiwarter. Urgent abatement of
industrial
sources of nitrous oxide. Nature Climate Change, 2023; DOI:
10.1038/ s41558-023-01723-3 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230705105900.htm

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