Hydrogen peroxide, atmosphere

Hydrogen peroxide plays an important role in many processes in the atmosphere and in natural aqueous systems. It affects numerous redox reactions, which in turn influence the stability and transport of other chemical substances, e.g., pollutants. In the atmosphere, hydrogen peroxide is believed to be involved in several important oxidation reactions, e.g., conversion of sulfur dioxide to sulfuric acid... 

A second pathway to the formation of sulfuric acid depends on the presence of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in clouds, fog, rain, and other forms of water in the atmosphere. Hydrogen peroxide is now known to form in such locations when hydroperoxyl radicals react with each other ... 

Gaseous hydrogen peroxide is a key component and product of the earth s lower atmospheric photochemical reactions, in both clean and polluted atmospheres. Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide is believed to be generated exclusively by gas-phase photochemical reactions (lARC, 1985). Low concentrations of hydrogen peroxide have been measured in the gas-phase and in cloud water in the United States (United States National Library of Medicine, 1998). It has been found in rain and surface water, in human and plant tissues, in foods and beverages and in bacteria (lARC, 1985). 

Both acids are detected in the atmosphere. Hydrogen peroxide dissociates into OH radicals by absorption of light below 3200 A [see Section V11—61... 

An exciting recent development is the work by Endo etal. who reported the detection and analyses of the rotational spectrum of the water-hydroperoxy radical complex. The self reaction of the hydroperoxy radical is a primary source of atmospheric hydrogen peroxide ... 

R.J. Kieber, W.J. Cooper, J.D. Willey, G.B. Avery (2001). Hydrogen peroxide at the Bermuda Atlantic time series station. Part 1 Temporal variability of atmospheric hydrogen peroxide and its influence on seawater concentrations. J. Atmos. Chem., 39,1-13. 

Li, J. and Dasgupta, P. K., Measurement of atmospheric hydrogen peroxide and hydroxymethyl hydroperoxide with a diffusion scrubber and light emitting diode-liquid core waveguide-based fluorometry. Anal. Chem., 72, 5338-5347, 2000. 

Moller, D. (2009a) Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide Evidence for aqueous-phase formation from a historic perspective and a one-year measurement campaign. Atmospheric Environment 43, 5923-5936... 

Hua W, Chen ZM, et al. Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide and organic hydroperoxides during PRIDE-PRD 06, China their concentration, formation mechanism and contribution to secondary aerosols. Atmos. Chem Phys. 2008 8 6755-73. 

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