Chemists at UC Riverside have directly observed the formation of Criegee intermediates, fleeting molecules produced when ozone reacts with plant-emitted isoprene. By using cavity ring-down spectroscopy, the researchers captured these short-lived compounds that have been theorized for eighty years but never previously detected in this context. This process acts as a primary trigger for the secondary organic aerosols that comprise city haze.
The study clarifies that while trees release the isoprene, the driver of the resulting pollution is ground-level ozone, suggesting that air quality management must focus on reducing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds. However, these findings are based on controlled laboratory conditions that do not fully replicate the complex, shifting environment of the open atmosphere. It remains a foundational observation rather than a complete model of atmospheric chemistry.
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