Seeding the oceans with nano-scale fertilizers could create a much-needed, substantial carbon sink.
(Illustration by Stephanie King | Pacific Northwest National Laboratory)
The urgent need to remove excess carbon dioxide from Earth’s environment could include enlisting some of our planet’s smallest inhabitants, according to an international research team led by Michael Hochella of the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
Hochella and his colleagues examined the scientific evidence for seeding the oceans with iron-rich engineered fertilizer particles near ocean plankton. The goal would be to feed phytoplankton, microscopic plants that are a key part of the ocean ecosystem, to encourage growth and carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake. The analysis article appears in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
“The idea is to augment existing processes,” said Hochella, a Laboratory fellow at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. “Humans have fertilized the land to grow crops for centuries. We can learn to fertilize the oceans responsibly.”
In nature, nutrients from the land reach oceans through rivers and blowing dust to fertilize plankton. The research team proposes moving this natural process one step further to help remove excess CO2 through the ocean. They studied evidence that suggests adding specific combinations of carefully engineered materials could effectively fertilize the oceans, encouraging phytoplankton to act as a carbon sink. The organisms would take up carbon in large quantities. Then, as they die, they would sink deep into the ocean, taking the excess carbon with them. Scientists say this proposed fertilization would simply speed up a natural process that already safely sequesters carbon in a form that could remove it from the atmosphere for thousands of years.
“At this point, time is of the essence,” said Hochella. “To combat rising temperatures, we must decrease CO2 levels on a global scale. Examining all our options, including using the oceans as a CO2 sink, gives us the best chance of cooling the planet.”
Pulling insights from the literature
In their analysis, the researchers argue that engineered nanoparticles offer several attractive attributes. They could be highly controlled and specifically tuned for different ocean environments. Surface coatings could help the particles attach to plankton. Some particles also have light-absorbing properties, allowing plankton to consume and use more CO2. The general approach could also be tuned to meet the needs of specific ocean environments. For example, one region might benefit most from iron-based particles, while silicon-based particles may be most effective elsewhere, they say.
The researchers’ analysis of 123 published studies showed that numerous non-toxic metal-oxygen materials could safely enhance plankton growth. The stability, Earth abundance, and ease of creation of these materials make them viable options as plankton fertilizers, they argue.
The team also analyzed the cost of creating and distributing different particles. While the process would be substantially more expensive than adding non-engineered materials, it would also be significantly more effective.
Original Article: Fertilizing the Ocean to Store Carbon Dioxide
More from: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
The Latest Updates from Bing News
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Iron-based fertilizer
- Reusing Sewage Sludge Ash for Phosphorus Fertilizer
Chemical engineers from Hokkaido University's Center for Advanced Research of Energy and Materials have developed a technique to recover phosphorous from sewage sludge by heat treatment and chemical ...
- The future of fertilizer? Pee, says this Brattleboro institute.
The institute, its partners and others in the sustainability industry see the practice — dubbed “peecycling” — as a cheap, easy and less-destructive method than synthetic fertilizer.
- Using Industrial Waste to Fight Pollution in Brazil
Biogas sounds like redemption, the conversion of the sinner. Its production involves extracting energy from filth, from the most disgusting environmental pollution, and at the same time avoiding the ...
- Vale Unusual Options Activity
Based on the trading activity, it appears that the significant investors are aiming for a price territory stretching from $3.0 to $15.0 for Vale over the recent three months.
- Ask A Master Gardener: May ushers in the beginning of warm season gardening
Beginning in May and continuing to the beginning of October is the period of warm season gardening for our area.
Go deeper with Bing News on:
Nano-scale fertilizers
- Clean fertilizer technology attracts investment
Several start-ups developing technologies to produce nitrogen fertilizer with low carbon emissions have attracted investment in recent weeks. But some analysts say the massive scale of the ...
- 700 gallons of fertilizer spills in Burlington, unknown amount reaches Hawkeye Creek
BURLINGTON, Iowa — Officials are working to mitigate the impact of a fertilizer spill in Burlington before contaminated water reaches the Mississippi River. According to the Iowa Department of ...
- Green intelligent fertilizers promote green and sustainable development of fertilizer industry and agriculture
Fertilizers are an important strategic material for ensuring food security at the national and personal levels. China has emerged as a pivotal contributor to this development, now being the ...
- Secret ingredient for fertilizer company’s amazing growth
AND MALLOY IS NOT ONLY A FISHERMAN’S DAUGHTER, SHE’S ALSO CO-OWNER OF HER GLOUCESTER FAMILY’S BUSINESS, NEPAI HARVEST ORGANIC FERTILIZER FOR. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? SO THESE ARE FOUR 30,000 ...
- Farmers tell FTC to block Iowa Fertilizer Co. sale to Koch amid consolidation concerns
NEVADA — Iowa farmers told a federal trade leader this weekend that the agency should block the $3.6 billion sale of the Iowa Fertilizer Co. to Koch Industries, saying it will further ...