New Polymer Captures Ammonia Preventing Air Pollution Image Credit: Heloisa Bordallo, The Niels Bohr Institute A newly developed polymer could trap ammonia, preventing it from polluting the atmosphere, thus improving human health considerably. Ammonia is a toxic gas that is a major source of air pollution that can harm human health. The compound of nitrogen and hydrogen is a byproduct of both agriculture and industry, and even though it is harmful enough alone — causing damage to eyes, throats, and even in extreme circumstances death — when it reacts with other air pollutants, it forms ammonium salts that can affect breathing. These fine particles can travel large distances in the atmosphere, thus becoming a widespread problem rather than a localized one.