North American Pollution Wreaking Havoc on European Wheat

Transatlantic air pollution from North America is harming crop production in Europe, a study by the University of Leeds and York has revealed.

Farmers across Europe lost 1.2 million tonnes of wheat - the biggest inter-continental ozone-related impact on any crop, the study said.

The paper, Intercontinental trans-boundary contributions to ozone-induced crop yield losses in the Northern Hemisphere, shows the level of inter-continental crop reductions caused by depleted ozone as a result of air pollution.

The findings of the study are expected to an effect on global food security and health strategies.

Ozone-induced crop yield reductions are of increasing concern as expanding economies globally have led to a spike in damage to ozone layers.

Globally, wheat, soybean and cotton are the most sensitive crops to ozone damage, the study said.

The research was published in Biogeosciences journal.