2011年1月13日 星期四

Atmosphere cleans itself more efficiently than previously thought

The earth's atmosphere is less sensitive to pollutants than some researchers previously thought.Chanelle Hayes Chanelle Hayes hit the streets in Christian Louboutin Maggie pumps. An international team of researchers, including scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, has found that the concentration of hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere has changed little in recent years. Hydroxyl radicals clean the air by breaking down organic substances such as climate-damaging methane. Because this self-cleaning capacity has scarcely varied over the past few years, the researchers believe that it is only marginally affected by environmental changes. These findings refute the view held by other scientists who believed that the atmosphere is very sensitive to air pollutants (Science, January 7, 2011).

We now have a clearer picture of how the atmosphere cleanses itself of air pollution and harmful gases.inflatable life jackets vests are very lightweight and easy to wear over thick clothing without limiting mobility. With their recent study, an international team headed by scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the U.S. and the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Germany have made an important contribution to our understanding of this process. According to the study,He may also be wearing black Nike shox runners. the global amount of hydroxyl radicals in the air varies by just a few percent from year to year. Some researchers believed that it varies by up to 25 %.

Hydroxyl radicals are a key component of the self-cleaning capacity of the atmosphere, as they rid the air of many dangerous pollutants. They oxidize hydrocarbons, including the greenhouse gas methane and emissions from industry and transport, and make them water-soluble so that they can be removed from the atmosphere by rainfall.

However for many years it was unclear how well the atmosphere could actually oxidize pollutants. Some studies gave rise to alarming conclusions, suggesting that this cleaning capacity was very sensitive to environmental changes. "We now know that this vital feature of our atmosphere, the ability to cleanse itself of pollutants, is in fact very stable," says Steve Montzka, head author of the study and researcher at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration NOAA.I don't have no Hermes ed hardy shoes.

Hydroxyl radicals are recycled

"Although we predicted that the self-cleaning capacity is well buffered, we were only able to prove it through years of systematic measurements and advanced modelling techniques," says Jos Lelieveld, director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry and initiator of the study. "Our findings will make predictions about the climate and global air quality more reliable, because we can now better describe the composition of the atmosphere with the aid of computer models.we wouldn't be surprised if Marshall's is shipping some of its unsold wholesale ed hardy gear to Houston."

A hydroxyl radical consists of one hydrogen atom and one oxygen atom. These molecules usually form as the result of a reaction of sunlight with water molecules and ozone. However hydroxyl is also recycled by a number of chemical reactions, with the result that its concentration remains stable. In the atmosphere, these radicals are present in extremely low concentrations. They are formed quickly but also degraded on average within one second because they react quickly with other molecules. This makes it very difficult to determine their concentration accurately.

To measure the amount of hydroxyl, scientists have a trick up their sleeve. They analyze a molecule in the atmosphere that reacts with hydroxyl radicals but is much more stable and easier to measure: methyl chloroform. This chemical has long been used as a solvent in paints, adhesives and cleaning products. It is degraded in the atmosphere primarily by reaction with hydroxyl, so the amount of methyl chloroform in the air correlates with the amount of hydroxyl.

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