At least one-quarter of all nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions in California’s Salton Sea air basin come from soil, according to a study from the University of California, Davis. Using isotopic analysis, the study found that annual total soil emissions for the basin averaged 11 tons per day, which is 10 times larger than the state’s current inventory for soil NOx emissions in the region. The work was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports. The study highlights the need to better understand and account for emissions from agricultural soils in order to comply with state and federal air quality regulations and to improve air quality in rural Imperial Valley, Coachella Valley and other agriculturally active regions in warm climates. 

Other Salton Sea articles:

• Technology Networks Applied Sciences: California’s Coachella Valley is emitting concerningly high levels of NOx
• Imperial Valley Press: Imperial Valley residents launch coalition to demand accountability from lithium companies