In-cloud multiphase chemistry: a new way to improve the evaluation of health and climate change risks due to atmospheric aerosols

In-cloud multiphase chemistry: a new way to improve the evaluation of health and climate change risks due to atmospheric aerosols
Predicting air quality also means monitoring aerosol formation in the atmosphere. “These gases can be harmful to human health and cause respiratory problems,” stated Pascal Renard. “Some aerosols are even classified as carcinogenic.” To learn more, he is studying the formation of secondary organic aerosols in the clouds. These are reaction products of isoprene, one of the major organic compounds emitted by plants. In order to better describe the physical and chemical processes involved, he is recreating the atmospheric conditions in which these processes take place in a laboratory setting. His initial results show that small polymers* are synthesized in photochemical reactions in the aqueous phase. This data is being incorporated into the climate prediction models being developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).*