Navigating ammonia production routes: Life cycle assessment insights for a sustainable future

Ammonia, a cornerstone of global agriculture and a key industrial chemical, faces growing environmental scrutiny due to its production processes. This mini-review evaluates various production routes through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to compare traditional and sustainable ammonia production routes, focusing on ecological, human health, and resource impacts. It synthesizes LCA studies, revealing that sustainable practices can significantly reduce ammonia's ecological footprint. The review emphasizes the need for a holistic LCA approach, considering all impact aspects, not just ecological ones, to identify potential burden shifting on ecosystems and human health, and highlights the importance of short and long-term strategies to mitigate environmental impacts from ammonia synthesis.