It is scientific knowledge that trees, plants and leaves in general release small electrical discharges (called coronas) when they are in the middle of the electrical fields created by storms in nature. However, new research suggests these sparks could be changing air quality in unprecedented ways.
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As the effect of these small shocks on the atmosphere is not known, research was carried out on the subject. Thus, this study was published on August 9 in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
In this way, scholars created in a laboratory these electric fields formed by the storm and examined the coronas that eight different plant species produced under different conditions environmental.
The findings demonstrated that each corona generated a significant amount of free radicals, which are chemicals that can significantly alter the quality of the surrounding air.
The two free radicals that plants produce are called hydroxyl (OH) and hydroperoxyl (HO2). Both are known to oxidize or steal electrons from a variety of different chemical compounds and convert them into other molecules.
William Brune, researcher and co-author of this study, stated that the hydroxyl radical contributes to the oxidation general atmospheric effect of many air pollutants, as it naturally has a greater impact on the quality of the air.
According to Brune, a hydroxyl radical can remove harmful atmospheric molecules and help fight climate change if it reacts with gases that affect the atmosphere, such as methane, for example.
However, if the same radical reacts with oxygen, it can produce ozone, which is toxic to humans despite playing a significant role in high atmospheres. According to him, radical substances can also produce aerosol particles, which harm air quality.
Given the abundance of trees in storm-prone areas, coronas produced by plants can be a source of radicals with little research and highly unpredictable impact on the quality of the air.
The researchers want to continue studying these coronas in more detail to fully understand the effect they have on localized air quality and on a broader, global scale.
