Ammonia pollution research wins international prize for planet-saving science

A scientific paper by researchers from the University of Melbourne and Zhejiang University has won a prestigious, international Frontiers Planet Prize worth 500,000 Swiss francs (around AUD840,000).

On 27 April, Professor Baojing Gu, from Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China, was announced as one of three International Champions at the Frontiers Planet Prize awards ceremony in Montreux, Switzerland.

Professor Gu is lead author of the prize-winning paper ‘Abating ammonia is more cost-effective than nitrogen oxides for mitigating PM2.5 air pollution’, published in the journal Science. Professor Deli Chen and PhD student Xiuming Zhang, from the University of Melbourne, are co-authors.

“Our paper is about cutting ammonia air pollution from agriculture to save lives,” Professor Chen said. “Livestock and ammonia-based fertilisers produce ammonia emissions, which are largely unregulated and continue to rise.”

Ammonia is one of the precursors of PM2.5 in the atmosphere. PM2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter under 2.5 micrometres, which can penetrate the lungs and enter the bloodstream. This causes millions of premature deaths annually, costing upwards of $US5.7 trillion per year, as explained in the research team’s Pursuit article.

“Most air pollution regulations have focused on nitrogen oxide and sulphur dioxide emissions from energy production, housing, transport and industry processes,” Professor Chen said. “Our research shows that, to reduce PM2.5 pollution, controlling ammonia is more cost-effective than focusing on nitrous oxides.

“This study provides a pathway for the control of PM2.5 pollution and key evidence for policy formulation, which is vital for achieving the Colombo Declaration's goal of halving global nitrogen pollution,” Professor Chen said.

The goal of the Frontiers Planet Prize is to address the planetary crisis by mobilising scientists engaged in research with the greatest potential to stabilise the planet’s ecosystem.

Nominations for the prize come from the world’s foremost universities, national academies, and funding agencies. A jury of 100 renowned sustainability scientists vote for the International Champions. The prize money goes to the researchers’ institutions, to support their continuing research.

“We will continue to work on identifying regional emissions sources and mitigations, and will monitor regional progress in reducing ammonia pollution,” Professor Chen said.

L to R  : Professor Baojing Gu at the awards ceremony; Professor Deli Chen; Xiuming Zhang

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Rebecca Colless

rebecca.colless@unimelb.edu.au

+61 412 219 093