Radical development

Hydroxyl radicals (OH) are highly reactive species that are responsible for the oxidation of most pollutant gases. Outdoors, OH radicals are formed primarily by the photolysis of ozone by short-wavelength sunlight, but that light is largely filtered out by glass windows, so what is the indoor OH radical environment like? Zannoni et al. report that high concentrations of OH radicals were found when people were exposed to ozone in a climate-controlled chamber, and were a product of a reaction with the skin oil squalene (see the Perspective by Schoemaeker and Carslaw). Their finding has implications for indoor air quality and ultimately for human health. —HJS

Read more...