Iron Fertilization

Iron fertilization is a geo-engineering technique used to stimulate phytoplankton growth in the ocean. Phytoplankton can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and thus help to reduce the adverse effects of global warming. Experiments from the laboratory has suggested that every tons of iron can capture carbon between 30 000 to 110 000 tons. Iron is an essential element for photosynthesis of plants to convert carbon dioxide into organic compounds.


Since 1993, about 13 small-scale experiments involving iron fertilization have been conducted. Those experiments involved the fertilization with about a ton of iron added over a few hundred square kilometers of the ocean area. As expected, these experiments have stimulated the phytoplankton blooms which theoretically, can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere that is the main cause of the global warming.
However, controversy remains on the impacts of this technique. For example, iron can deplete the oxygen in the ocean. This will happen by the decomposition process of the dead plankton which utilizes oxygen. A study also has suggested that iron fertilization also can stimulate toxic algae. This type of algae produce neurotoxin called domoic acid which is known to cause toxic to other oceanic species.
Further studies have to be conducted in the near future in order to answer the critics and questions on the impacts, safety and effectiveness of iron fertilization. Some aspects such as the size of experiments, profits, environmental effects and amount of carbon sequestration must be counted for the previous efforts to be worthwhile.