Reduce Production of Ammonium Sulfate and Control Its Applications

The August 15 issue of C&E News has an article entitled, "No Progress On Nitrate Runoffs". Nitrogen, in the form of nitrate fertilizers washes into the groundwater and rivers that make up the Mississippi River Basin. Eventually, the pollution makes its way into the Gulf of Mexico where it feeds a zone, an area of low oxygen water where many organisms cannot survive. Although the article does not say so, I suspect that the increased concentration of nitrate involving the zone also contributes to a decrease in fish and shellfish production in the the Gulf Coast area.

Efforts to reduce the nitrate pollution have been in effect since 1980, but recent shows that little progress has been made. The culprit is ammonium nitrate, which is a good fertilizer, but also has the disadvantage of the indicated pollution. In addition, ammonium nitrate mixed with diesel fuel is an excellent explosive for car bombs to damage buildings and kill people in the hands of terrorists. There should be controls on ammonium nitrate production, if not downright commercial elimination. It would be relatively simple matter, because it is not necessary to use ammonium nitrate as a nitrogen supplying fertilizer. There are reasonable substitutes, such as anhydrous ammonia, and ammonium sulfate, if a solid fertilizer is necessary. The nitrate contamination would be replaced by sulfate, which is not really a pollutant. Calcium sulfate is indigenously present in all of the Southwest.

The EPA is always looking for something to do and has come up with many ideas of restriction or promotion, which have no solid basis for reality. Here is something which involves environmental contamination and on which the EPA could easily place restrictions with justification.