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Published online 20 March 2008 | Nature | doi:10.1038/news.2008.683
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How pollution can help to clean the air
Hydroxyl radicals, nature's atmospheric scrubbers, are produced by nitrogen pollution too.
Some types of air pollution might be doing a good turn by creating extra doses of atmospheric cleaner, according to new research. A lab study has shown how nitrogen oxides, a largely agricultural pollutant, can help to make hydroxyl radicals — the natural cleaner-upper of our dirty atmosphere.
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The reaction of nitrogen oxides with wavelength of particular light, and formation of two different products both good and bad the hydroxyl as well as ozone smog gives now time perplexing results.But it is sure and we can predict the technique behind the complexity of atmospheric chemistry to optimise the conditions favouring the formation of hydroyxl radicle, thereby both the things done namely reducing NOx and producing hydroxyl radicles.