Widespread surface ozone reduction triggered by dust storm disturbance on ozone production and destruction chemistry.
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Where this comes from
- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 40333981.
- Also identified by DOI 10.1126/sciadv.adr4297 and PMC identifier 12057657.
- Licence recorded as CC BY.
- The licence permits redistribution, so the abstract is shown in full and the full text is available from the publisher.
Abstract
Natural dust storms are associated with changes to atmospheric photochemical processes, including changes in surface ozone, a critical global air pollutant. Here, we quantified the change in surface ozone during dust storms for regions in China by using a synthesis of measurements and modeling approaches. Our results showed that notable reductions of the average ozone concentration (2.0 to 12.2 parts per billion by volume) were observed during the 12 dust storm events from 2016 to 2023, relative to predust storm levels. The chemical interactions of dust particles with ozone production processes played crucial roles in explaining approximately 13 to 35% of the observed ozone reduction, alongside the impact of intense meteorological disturbances on transport and formation of ozone. Among these interactions, the uptake of ozone, reactive nitrogen, and hydroperoxyl radical by dust particles could substantially contribute to the ozone suppression. This study highlighted the importance of interactions between severe dust pollution and atmospheric photochemistry.