Scientists Discover Reactive Family Of Substances In Our Atmosphere

In our atmosphere, chemists have discovered a reactive family of substances called organic hydrotrioxides, which are only present for a limited period of time but may have impacts we are unaware of. A few billion molecules are inhaled in just a couple of seconds according to experts.

As far as what this implies for your own health and that of our world goes, it’s all a bit of a mystery. However, the fact that we’ve just recently found this new component of Earth’s atmosphere makes further investigation worthwhile. We’ve known about these substances for a long time, but we simply didn’t realize they existed. While it’s still unclear how long the chemicals remain in the environment, the fact that we now have proof that they are generated and that they can be studied implies that we can react if they turn out to be harmful.

Chemical compounds are released into the atmosphere by the vast majority of human activities. That’s why knowing how atmospheric chemistry is determined is critical if we want to know how our activities may impact it in the future.

What do we know about the chemical?

For the first time, researchers have seen hydrotrioxide developing in the atmosphere from a variety of compounds that are commonly found in the air.

They were able to determine how the chemical is likely to be made, how long it lasts, and how it degrades. Hydrotrioxide may be produced through the atmospheric reaction of one such emission, known as isoprene. However, it is just one possible source. In principle, any chemical might play a part in the atmospheric creation of hydrotrioxides, which can last anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, according to the team’s estimations.

Many more processes may take place during this period, some of which may be shielded by minute materials floating in the wind.