Our failure to Research is urging scientists to explore more drastic measures to reduce climate change, such as fertilizing the oceans in an attempt to stop it. Carbon dioxide in excessOur air.
“At this point time is of the essence.” SaysMichael Hochella is an Earth scientist at US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
“To combat rising temperature, we need to decrease CO2Levels on a global scale. We need to examine all options, including the use of oceans as CO.2Sinking gives us the greatest chance of cooling the planet.
PhytoplanktonOne of the major components of the ocean is the photosynthesizing microorganisms, a variety that float on its surface. The biological pump of carbon cycleThat takes CO2To store in the ocean’s depths, you can take out the air.
Iron is essential for tiny organisms to grow and multiply. But, there’s a limit on how much phytoplankton that can be bloomed..
So just as fertilizer can help photosynthesizing organisms flourish on land, the same help could – theoretically – be offered to the sunlight eaters that float on our seas.
Once, whales were a major part of the world’s economy. natural ocean fertilizationThe plankton gets the nutrients it needs via huge plumes of poop. The whales contributed close to 2,000,000 tonnes of CO2 per year to the decline in whale numbers before industrial whaling. It’s now closer to 200,000 tonnes.
This artificial fertilizer could be added to these microbes in order to encourage them to grow and reproduce.2The CO is taken from the air and carried with them to their deaths. The CO2It is currently stored on the ocean floor at this location, where most of the excess has been liberated by human activities.
This poetic conclusion to the cycle that we have broken could sequester the carbon for hundreds and thousands of years, like the fossils-turned–fuel did before us.
The phytoplankton team discovered that larger soluble forms are not likely to stay near the surface for as long as they need to be utilized by the phytoplankton. This explainsSo researchers looked to nanoparticles. Iron oxides and ironoxyhydroxides nanoparticles can be used as natural ocean fertilizers, derived from soil sediments or volcanic ash.
“The idea is to enhance existing processes.” Says Hochella. Hochella. It is possible to fertilize the oceans in a responsible manner.
Peyman Babakhani (University of Leeds) and his collaborators reviewed 123 studies and found that some engineered nanoparticles could be suitable for safely fertilizing phytoplankton.
Artificial ocean fertilization should be done at a level that increases the number of microalgae but does not pose a risk to toxicity.
The team found that some studies were able achieve an algal abundance and growth increase of 35-756% compared to controls.
Furthermore, the nanoparticles seem to be attracted to the cell surfaces of the cells (in this case phytoplankton). How much is taken up will determine how muchInstead of releasing it in concentrations, it could be released at levels similar to those found in seawater.
Some studies showed that phytoplankton blooms that were grown using ocean fertilizer actually depleted other nutrients. This caused them to slow down, and future fertilizers might need more minerals.
“If considerable CO2“Engineered nanoparticles are used to draw down carbon dioxide. This could allow for applications at smaller scales and specific locations,” said the team. Their paper explains.“And thus allay some concerns regarding risks of geoengineering of the entire marine ecosystem, and downstream ‘nutrient theft’.”
This proposal, like any large-scale manipulation of the environment, comes with significant risks.
“Nanoparticles are natural in the ocean, but they pose environmental threats.” [engineered nanoparticles]”The ocean require rigorous assessment,” Babakhani, colleagues Warning.
The idea of a focus study under real-world conditions has not been done on any of these particles, so it is still very much in the brainstorming stage.
Because nanoparticles tend to aggregate in marine ecosystems over time, it is difficult to know what the long-term impacts of these particles on the ocean’s biogeochemistry. The ocean could potentially drown life below its surface.
Researchers present a plan to address the many concerns. They estimate that even though engineering the correct nanoparticles is more expensive than using the existing materials, it would enable us to tailor them for specific environments (e.g., those that require more silicon or iron), making them more efficient.
Although it is increasingly likely that such extreme interventions will be required, researchers recognize the importance of being cautious. We have enough of these interventions in place. Methods that are reliable and easily understoodGeoengineering is about protecting and restoring ecosystems that have been damaged or destroyed.
This research was published in Nature Nanotechnology.
