Study finds North American ozone pollution depressing European wheat crops

Ozone emissions from North America could be causing European farmers to lose more than a million tons of wheat every year.

Thu, Mar 01 2012 at 11:35 AM

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Farming & Agriculture, Pollution

Photo: Rae Allen/Flickr

A study conducted by researchers at England's University of Leeds and the University of York suggests that ozone pollution from North America is responsible for depressing European wheat harvests by 1.2 million tons a year. The ozone travels across the Atlantic Ocean after being emitted from smokestacks and tailpipes and damages plants by inhibiting their growth.

Researchers took existing data and built computer models that allowed them to calculate how the ozone affects different crops. They also studied how pollution from Asia contributes to agricultural losses and suggested that any reductions in pollution from North America could be offset by increases in pollution coming from China and other Asian countries. You can see the full report from the study here.

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