Surface ozone pollution, an often-overlooked air pollutant, poses a severe threat to India’s major food crops and could jeopardize the nation’s food security goals, according to new research from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. The Silent Crop Killer: Surface Ozone Explained The study, led by Professor Jayanarayanan Kuttippurath at the Centre for Ocean, River, Atmosphere and Land Sciences (CORAL), examined how this potent oxidant damages plant tissues and reduces agricultural yields. Unlike particulate matter that often dominates air quality discussions, surface ozone works invisibly to harm crops at the cellular level. “Surface ozone is a strong oxidant that … Continue reading Surface Ozone Pollution Is Cutting India’s Wheat and Rice Yields, Putting Food Supply at Risk