MEXICO CITY, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- High ammonia levels recorded in recent years in different parts of Mexico have impacted air quality, climate and biosphere, said Luis Antonio Ladino Moreno, a researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
"In Mexico City, for example, ammonia levels are high and growing, which is concerning, since it can translate into the formation of more polluting particles that reach our lungs," he told Xinhua.
The specialist from UNAM's Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate Change said that the presence of this chemical compound can affect cloud formation, which in turn affects the hydrological cycle.
Given that clouds control the amount of radiation reaching the Earth, the pollutant can directly or indirectly impact the surface temperature of the Earth, he said.
The specialist noted that this situation "may suggest that we are overusing fertilizers."
With population growth, more food is needed, said the expert, adding that fertilizers are thus used in exaggerated quantities to boost agricultural and meat production.
A lot of fertilizers are "sprayed on crops in a superficial and aggressive way," so they remain on the soil's surface and interact with the atmosphere, he explained.
If fertilizers remain on the Earth's surface, they can pass into the atmosphere and form particles that alter the quality of the air, the hydrological cycle and surface-level temperatures.
There is not enough care taken with the use of fertilizers, said the expert, who recommends a return to organic foods with fewer chemicals.
"We could avoid spraying fertilizers by hand and bury it better so that it is not exposed on the surface, and thus does not pass into the atmosphere," he said.
In this way, fertilizers could be used to nourish the soil without passing into the atmosphere.
"It is a fact that we have overpopulation and the demand for food will continue to grow, so this will continue to have an impact in many areas, hence the importance of taking immediate actions to mitigate it," the expert said. ■
