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What Can Methane Do to Our Environment?

Methane, the main component of natural gas, is released into the atmosphere from a variety of natural and human activities. These emissions can have serious impacts on the environment, particularly the global climate system. However, methane has the potential to be an important energy source. Thus, efforts to utilize methane emissions to produce energy can provide significant economic and environmental benefits, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Main Sources of Methane
- According to Dave Reay in the Encyclopedia of the Earth, the main sources of methane fall into three categories: natural, industry and agriculture (livestock). Natural sources of methane occur from wetlands, where soils are waterlogged with a low oxygen concentration. Under these conditions microorganisms, called methanogens, produce large amounts of methane as they respire carbon dioxide to produce energy. Other natural sources of methane arise from the oceans, frozen deposits of methane and from termites. Human-induced (industrial) sources of methane predominantly occur as a result of oil, coal and gas extraction, landfill sites and biomass burning. More methane is now released by these activities than from natural sources, according to Dave Reay. In terms of agriculture, eructation and flatulence from cattle, sheep and other livestock are the proximate causes of large amounts of methane emissions.
Global Warming
- Potentially the most serious impact methane can have on the the environment is through its impact on global warming. This is because methane is an extremely potent greenhouse gas, over 20 times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide, according to the EPA. Since the Industrial Revolution, the levels of methane in the atmosphere have increased by about two and half times, according to the BBC Weather Center. The result of this is that increased methane emissions will enhance the greenhouse effect, in which heat is trapped within the Earth's atmosphere, exacerbating global warming. In turn, global warming can have a wide range of effects upon the environment, ranging from rising sea levels to increased incidence of extreme climatic events, such as hurricanes, as demonstrated in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2007 report.
Development of Ozone
- Scientists at the American Geophysical Union explain how methane is directly linked to the production of ozone, which impacts air quality and contributes to the greenhouse effect. Ozone is formed in the troposphere, in the presence of nitrogen oxides and sunlight, by chemical reactions involving methane, other organic compounds, and carbon monoxide. Ground-level ozone can lead to adverse respiratory health effects, such as pain when breathing, coughing and wheezing, according to the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
Impact on Marine Organisms
- Offshore drilling for oil and natural gas can cause methane to be released into the ocean. This has consequences for marine organisms. For example, fish rapidly absorb the gas through the gills, the result of which is a disruption to the main functional systems of the organism, such as respiration, nervous system, blood formation and enzyme activity, according to offshore-environment.com. The interval between first contact with the gas and first signs of poisoning is relatively short, with further exposure leading to chronic poisoning.

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