NitroBLAST
Laying the foundation for nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen
Nitrogen gas, comprising 78% of Earth's atmosphere, is the most abundant chemical in the air.
Its triple bond is one of the strongest, making N₂ highly inert.
This makes it challenging for organisms as well as industries to convert it into useful compounds.
The Haber-Bosch process
Nitrogen-containing compounds (ammonia and nitrates) can act as food for plants to meet their nitrogen requirements.
In nature, the amound of nitrogen-containing compounds (plant food) is limited, requiring fertiliser.
The Haber-Bosch process revolutionized agriculture by industrializing nitrogen fixation, greatly boosting agricultural productivity.
However, each year 200 million tonnes of reactive nitrogen is lost to the environment.
Over-fertilization
The Netherlands grapples with a crippling nitrogen crisis with over 80% of ammonia emissions coming from over-fertilization.
Eutrophication
Excessive ammonia enrichment promotes uncontrolled algal blooms in water bodies causing eutrophication, which leads to loss of biodiversity.
We could reduce up to 2% of global CO2 emissions from synthetic fertilizer production.
We could reduce nitrogen emissions, prevent eutrophication, and protect biodiversity while sustaining agricultural productivity.
Laying the foundation for nitrogen fixation.