Friday, May 21, 2010

Kudzu Poisons Our Air

Kudzu has taken over 7 million acres of land in the United States. With this huge number, scientists thought it was time to take a closer look. They found out that kudzu not only invades landscapes, but might also increase ozone pollution by more than one third in the future. What exactly does this mean? Kudzu grabs nitrogen from the air and puts it in the soil. Microbes then convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide, which is one of the pollutants that comes from automobile exhaust. The gas escapes from the soil and into the air and undergoes reactions that lead to the creation of ozone. This could lead to more summer days with the ozone in excess of EPA standards. Click here to read more about kudzu poisoning our air.