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Study finds changes in the Arctic sea ice cover may be driving changes in atmospheric chemistry

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Bromine also can remove ozone from the lowest layer of the atmosphere, the troposphere. Despite ozone’s beneficial role blocking harmful radiation in the stratosphere, ground-level ozone is a harmful pollutant. Bromine then reacts with a gaseous form of mercury, turning it into a pollutant that falls to Earth’s surface.

Mercury 210
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US and UK researchers report direct measurement of key atmospheric reactant; more rapid formation of secondary aerosols

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succeeded in isolating the simplest CI and reported direct kinetic measurements of its reactions with water, NO, NO 2 , and SO 2. Dr. George Marston from the University of Reading (UK) notes that: The Criegee intermediates (CIs) are central to understanding the reactions of ozone with unsaturated compounds. Welz et al.

Ozone 268
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NC State Researchers Developing Ozonolysis Pretreatment for Energy Grass Feedstocks

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Researchers at North Carolina State University are developing an ozone-based pre-treatment technique (ozonolysis) to release sugars from the energy grass miscanthus for production into renewable fuels or chemicals with minimal generation of chemical waste streams and degradation of the carbohydrate components. García-Cubero et al.

Ozone 170
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EPA Proposes Transport Rule to Cut Pollution from Power Plants in 31 States and DC; New Approach for Pollution Reduction

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This proposal reduces emissions contributing to fine particle (PM 2.5 ) and ozone nonattainment that often travel across state lines. SO 2 and NO x react in the atmosphere to form fine particle pollution and ground-level ozone (smog), which are linked to widespread illnesses and premature deaths. NO x emissions would drop by 52%.

Pollution 218
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Cutting Non-CO2 Pollutants Can Delay Abrupt Climate Change; The Fast Action Climate Agenda

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2009), reproduced from Ramanathan and Feng (2008) Click to enlarge. HFCs are powerful greenhouse gases originally developed as substitutes for ozone-depleting chemicals. The Montreal Protocol has already delayed climate change by seven to 12 years, and put the ozone layer on the path to recovery later this century. Ramanathan.

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Research shows clean fuel-use for ships off California coast extremely effective in reducing sulfur dioxide pollution

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The researchers also found that every ship in California waters whose emissions were measured was using low-sulfur fuel.

Pollution 186
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Study Finds Controlling Soot May Be Fastest Method to Reduce Arctic Ice Loss and Global Warming; Second-Leading Cause of Global Warming After CO2

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Warming of the air by any chemical, including soot, enhances natural surface emissions of water vapor [e.g., 2008] and methane [Schutz et al., 1990; Anisimov, 2007] and chemical production of ozone in already-polluted locations [Jacobson, 2008b]. These three gases are all greenhouse gases, and ozone is a surface air pollutant.

Global 230