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🗞️ Driving the news: A University of California, Davis study reveals that soil in the Salton Sea air basin contributes over 25% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in the region
• Annual soil emissions average 9.98 tonnes per day—10 times higher than current state estimates for the area
• Published in Scientific Reports, the study emphasizes the overlooked role of agricultural soil in regional air pollution.
🔭 The context: The Salton Sea, spanning California's Coachella and Imperial Valleys, is one of the U.S.’s most polluted air basins
• NOx emissions, critical precursors to ozone and particulate matter, impact air quality and public health
• The findings point to a gap in accounting for emissions from warm-climate agricultural soils in pollution inventories
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: NOx emissions drive harmful ozone and particulate formation, worsening air quality and contributing to climate change
• Accurate assessments of agricultural emissions are essential for meeting state and federal air quality standards
• This research could influence policies aimed at reducing pollution in agriculturally active regions
⏭️ What's next: Policymakers may need to revise NOx inventories and enhance regulations addressing emissions from agricultural soils
• The findings could lead to targeted strategies to mitigate soil-related emissions in California and similar regions globally
💬 One quote: "The study highlights the need to better understand and account for emissions from agricultural soils to improve air quality," researchers emphasized
📈 One stat: Soil NOx emissions in the Salton Sea basin are 10 times larger than California’s official inventory estimates for the region
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