Chemical Substance With High Reactivity Found in Atmosphere of Earth Isn't New, Study Says

Scientists have found that a super-reactive chemical in the Earth's atmosphere lasts far longer than previously assumed. They estimate that millions of tons of the chemical can last for several hours in the atmosphere.

Google Opens New Berlin Office — BERLIN, GERMANY - SEPTEMBER 26: A visitor looks at a three-dimensional rendering of the planet Earth while using Google Earth software on September 26, 2012 at the official opening party of the Google offices in Berlin, Germany. Although the American company holds 95% of the German search engine market share and already has offices in Hamburg and Munich, its new offices on the prestigious Unter den Linden avenue are its first in the German capital. The Internet giant has been met with opposition in the country recently by the former president's wife, who has sued it based on search results for her name that she considers derogative. The European Commission has planned new data privacy regulations in a country where many residents opted in to have their homes pixeled out when the company introduced its Street View technology. Adam Berry/Getty Images

Hydrotrioxides React Quickly in Earth's Atmosphere

In the Earth's atmosphere, there exist substances that react incredibly fast. The compounds in concern are hydrotrioxides. According to Great Lakes Ledger, the chemical is made up of one hydrogen atom and three oxygen atoms. The consequences on human health and the Earth's climate may be the most concerning aspect of the length of time these super-reactive chemicals remain in the atmosphere.

People used to believe that hydrotrioxides only lasted a short period. However, according to new research, they can stay in the Earth's atmosphere for at least 20 minutes or longer. It is nearly constantly created in fresh quantities since it is the consequence of common chemical processes.

Furthermore, this molecule present in the Earth's atmosphere interacts with other compounds very fast. Because aqueous oxides have more oxygen atoms, they can be extremely combustible. Other peroxides have been utilized as a rocket fuel because they may catch fire.

Professor Henrik Grum Kjaergaard Kjaergaard of the University of Copenhagen's Department of Chemistry said in a SciTech Daily report that the structure of the chemicals is unique.

ALSO READ : What Could be Hiding on Earth? Scientists Unlock the Mysteries of Mercury, Aubrite Meteorites

The fact that they were able to establish that the stated compounds were generated in the atmosphere and were genuinely stable was "significant," according to Jing Chen, a Ph.D. student in the Department of Chemistry and the study's second author. They were also made up of practically all chemical substances.

Not a New Chemical Reaction

TechNewsInsight said it is important to remember that this isn't a brand-new chemical reaction. The researchers discovered for the first time that these compounds exist in the air in their study, which was published in the journal Sciences. However, now that we know this super-reactive molecule is present in the Earth's atmosphere, some scientists consider how it can damage human health.

For this reason, hydrotrioxides are regarded to be extremely reactive. Hydrotrioxides, on the other hand, can react with practically any other substance. Almost all chemical reactions result in the formation of hydroxides. As a result, experts estimate that at least 11 million tons of water oxides are released into the atmosphere each year.

More research is needed to fully comprehend the full range of effects that atmospheric trioxides may have on human health and the environment and to develop targeted therapies if they are shown to be hazardous. Furthermore, greater study into the atmosphere's chemical makeup is needed to identify other potentially harmful substances.

The discovery indicates that there are likely to be many more compounds in the air that people are unaware of. In truth, the air we breathe is a huge tangle of complex molecular interactions. We must keep an open mind if we wish to increase our ability to find solutions as researchers.