New Discovery: Strong Electric Field Creates Hydroxide, Key Molecule in Clearing Air Pollution

A mechanism that creates hydroxide through a strong electric field at the surface between airborne water droplets & surrounding air has been discovered and announced.

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The atmosphere can be helped by OH (hydroxide) to clear itself of pollutants & greenhouse gasses, which challenges previous beliefs & could significantly change air pollution models.

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Without OH, many pollutants would keep aggregating in the atmosphere.

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A key player in atmospheric chemistry, OH, helps to remove poisonous gasses from the atmosphere.

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Scientists thought that hydroxide was mainly formed by sunlight until now, but the new study found that a strong electric field can create OH as well.

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The special conditions on the surface of the droplets create OH spontaneously.

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The production rates of OH in darkness can exceed those from drivers like sunlight exposure.

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Understanding the source of OH is altered by the findings of the research team.

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An important oxidant inside water droplets is OH, & the main assumption in the models is that OH comes from the air.

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