Measurement of Methane and Other Atmospheric Pollutants Emitted by Flooded Paddy Fields

The increase of methane concentration has been established during the last decades. This gas has a relative potential for thermal absorption, 30 times higher than CO₂, which means that it is more active in the interaction with the ozone and its blocking. About 70% of the global total emission of methane in the atmosphere is of biogenic origin. Flooded paddy fields are one of the main sources of atmosphere pollutions with methane. Irrigation of rice fields by overflowing reduces the feeding of the ground with oxygen from the air. This in turn affects the fermentation of organic substances in the ground. Methane is the final product in this process. The measurement was performed in the phase of rice earing by an authorized laboratory associated to the Executive Environment Agency at the Ministry of Waters and Environment by means of methods specified by the Ministry. The concentrations of damaging substances were automatically measured at every 60 min for SO₂, NO₂, NO, and at every 30 min for H₂S, CH₄, NMHC, CO, and NH₃. The obtained results prove that the concentrations of NO, H₂S, CH₄ and NMHC exceed all limits. The quantity of gases is influenced by the variety peculiarities of the culture (the roots mass, the total bio-mass and the running metabolic processes).