Methane continues to create environmental risks across the globe. Sadly, this harmful greenhouse gas contributes to ozone loss and is a major cause of lung disease. As such, a lot of effort has been put forth to try to figure out how to reduce or eliminate the effects of methane on the environment. Unfortunately, the same amount of effort has not been put toward determining the long-term effects or unintended consequences methane removal produces. Here’s what you need to know.
Methane (CH4)
Methane occurs when a single molecule of carbon and hydrogen bond. It is abundant in nature and is often located below ground. Its main concentrations are below sea level and in the Arctic. Methane is colorless, odorless, and highly flammable.
It’s one of the most corrosive greenhouse gasses, with studies showing its global warming potential (GWP) to be 27.9 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2) over a 100-year period. The UN Environment Programme determined that methane has accounted for about 30% of climate change since pre-industrial times.
Methane is a byproduct of many industrial processes, including mining oil and coal, refining gas, and even operating landfills. Surprisingly, only these industries produce 60% of the methane emitted into the atmosphere. This pollution continues to result in higher numbers of people suffering from asthma, cardiovascular disease, and strokes from resulting ground-level ozone.
Natural Methane Removal
Mother nature has some built-in methane removal techniques that work great when the environment is in balance. Oxidation occurs in the atmosphere, removing methane from the environment safely by adding another molecule and creating O2. However, these systems have been overloaded due to the increased emissions. Thankfully, scientists have found unique ways to duplicate the approach.
Source – University of Utah
Current Method of Removing Methane
There are several ways that scientists have developed to reduce the harmful effects or repurpose methane. These strategies focus on ensuring it doesn’t remain trapped in the atmosphere, destroying the ozone layer. The methods range from mimicking nature, all the way to creating new manufacturing processes that use Methane rather than discard or release it.
Oxidization
The most common methane removal process is to duplicate nature and add more oxygen to the atmosphere. This method shows promise, which has led many to advocate for immediate large-scale deployment of oxidation towers. Here are some other unique methods that researchers thought up.
Prevention
The best way to reduce methane levels is to prevent it from entering or staying in the atmosphere. Prevention methods range from integrating green energy for factories, new drilling methods for miners, and feeding cattle different foods to prevent gas.
Closed Loop Systems
One interesting approach that scientists have discovered is how to create a closed-loop manufacturing process that takes the carbon dioxide produced as wasteful byproducts and adds additional molecules to create methane. The methane is then used in the manufacturing process and the CO2 waste is again recycled. This approach could create cleaner and more efficient manufacturing facilities.
Methane Removal Risks
Several environmental and public health risks can occur using methane removal systems. For one, most approaches haven’t looked at the side effects of removing methane and whether its removal will create new chemical bonds that are more harmful or reduce the effectiveness of the process over time.
Some scientists fear that changing the level of tropospheric oxidants could create secondary pollutants, including harmful ozone and particulate matter. Additionally, there is no international oversight or regulatory compliance that these engineers have to follow during their experimentation phases. Thankfully, a team of engineers from the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Utah took the time to pull back the veil and reveal the long-term effects of today’s methane removal processes.
Methane Removal Risks Study
The study “Potential Air Quality Side-Effects of Emitting H2O2 to Enhance Methane Oxidation as a Climate Solution“1 is the first paper to delve into the possible side effects of some of these removal technologies. The paper introduces an experiment where towers spray aerosolized hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into the atmosphere. The H2O2 bonds with the methane, eliminating it from the air like a natural scrubber.
Methane Removal Risks Computer Simulations
The researcher took data from 50 towers spread around North America over a year period. The towers released the O2, and their effects were studied. The data was then used to create nested-grid simulations of the process. The simulation had several different emission rates and took into account a variety of environmental factors that could affect bonding such as sunlight level.
The engineer’s global chemical-transport model, GEOS-Chem is capable of simulating the four seasons, different weather patterns, and much more. Notably, the team decided to use 3 different emissions scenarios. This approach would allow the engineers to find specific problems faster.
Methane Removal Risks Test
The engineers began testing their simulations using the varying patterns. Each spray pattern had preset amounts. For example, the medium pattern released 1.35 pounds of H2O2 every second. This step was repeated in the simulation for ten hours per day for an entire year. From there, the team had sensors that could determine the amount that underwent photolysis, creating O2.
Methane Removal Risks Test Results
The test demonstrated some interesting and unexpected results. For one, the results showed that engineers would need to add much more H2O2 before this method of methane reduction can have a negligible effect. Even with 50 towers dispersing, it would only reduce 0.01% of annual anthropogenic methane emissions.
To become effective, this method would need to be scaled up to a dangerous level. The team determined that it would take as much as 352,000 emissions to make a difference. In this arrangement, they removed 50% of anthropogenic methane. Even if the towers were scaled up, you would still need +40,000 to have any real effect.
Notably, the testing showed that it was possible to use oxidation to improve air quality. However, the improvements only lasted about 50 years before unintended side effects began to pop up in the model. For one, the engineers determined that a high level of particulate matter would be released from the atmosphere.
Particulate Matter
Particulate matter is a major health concern globally. Raised levels of particulate matter have been linked to depression, suicide, and lung diseases, according to recent World Health Organization (WHO) studies. The study reveals that reducing PM levels to 10 micrograms per cubic meter significantly reduced depression rates in the population.
The side effects of the H2O2 process resulted in a small effect on surface O3 pollution. Additionally, sulfate aerosol experienced a 3% increase across all ground-level grid boxes. This increase can result in the formation of sulfate and nitrate concentrations, leading to long-term environmental impacts on the biosphere and hydrosphere. The results prove that in the long run, air quality would see a major reduction due to this style of methane removal process.
Methane Removal Risks Researchers
The study was led by University of Utah engineers. Specifically, atmospheric scientists Alfred Mayhew and Jessica Haskins are the main authors. The team now seeks to use their data to test other methane reduction processes. The goal is to ensure that nature’s delicate balance isn’t skewed by accident attempting to fix climate change.
Leading the Way in Sustainable Innovation
There are a lot of companies involved in carbon capture and methane reduction strategies. These firms have seen a boost recently as the UN and other global organizations have put forth advantageous schedules to reduce global emissions. Here’s one example of a company that could take the data from this study and integrate it into its current business system with success.
Occidental Petroleum (OXY -1.33%) entered the market in 1920 as an environmentally focused petroleum supplier. The company earned a reputation for innovation and has put forth several unique campaigns designed to hit its goal of zero emissions by 2050.
Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY -1.33%)
Today, Occidental Petroleum is a leading carbon capture tech provider. It has current operations in both the US and across the Middle East. The company remains a pioneering force and recently signed a memorandum of understanding with TAE Technologies. The goal of the partnership is to further research opportunities for using TAE’s nuclear fusion technology.
These latest developments, alongside additional technologies, will help to push demand for OXY shares higher. There could be major benefits if the company integrates this data to alter its business model and improve efficiency. For now, OXY is considered a strong “hold” by many analysts.
Methane Removal – It’s More Complicated than You Think.
Engineers must look at the long-term effects of their methane reduction technologies. When you examine environmental solutions, this requirement is increased tenfold. The ecosystem’s fragile balance notices all changes and adjusts accordingly. As such, it will take a very delicate approach, combined with strong prevention, to solve this problem without creating more issues along the journey.
Learn about other cool environmental projects here.
Study Reference:
1. Mayhew, A. W., & Haskins, J. D. (2025). Potential air quality side-effects of emitting H₂O₂ to enhance methane oxidation as a climate solution. Environmental Science & Technology, 59(1), 679–688. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.4c11697
