I am delighted to share this freshly published article: “Biomonitoring of dairy farm emitted ammonia in surface waters using phytoplankton en periphyton” in Science of the total Environment.
The study provides insights into ammonia emissions from dairy farms, to hopefully contribute to sustainable circular farming.
🚜 Let us explore the pathway of ammonia emissions from cattle stables to the atmosphere, surface waters and their ecosphere🌱
🔍 From Farm to Freshwater: Tracking Ammonia’s Journey 🔬
Dairy farms can significantly impact the levels of ammonia-nitrogen in our environment. This research reveals how these emissions dilute from the source, in air, water and aquatic organisms.
🌬️ In the air, ammonia levels showed a sharp decrease from the farm, heavily affected by wind. This pattern is essential for understanding how to manage and reduce the impact of agricultural emissions.
💧 Similarly, in water, ammonium concentrations decreased away from the farm. These dynamics are crucial for protecting our aquatic ecosystems.
🌿 By using natural monitors like periphyton and phytoplankton (algae), effects of ammonia in the environment were visualized and measured.
This research highlights the potential and importance of sustainable farming practices and the need to keep our air and water clean.
Let us move towards harmony with our planet!
I invite you to delve deeper into the research here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723068869
This project was funded by the foundation Mesdag-Zuivelfonds NLTO, and excecuted by the department of ecosystem and landscape dynamics (ELD) at the University of Amsterdam.