Electrical discharge from plants may alter air quality in ways we didn’t expect: ScienceAlert

When Lightning To flashes above, plants on the ground may respond in kind.

Scientists have long known that plants and trees can emit small, visible electrical discharges from the tips of their leaves when the plants are trapped under the electric fields of high-powered thunderstorms. These secretions, known as corona, sometimes appear as faint blue sparks that glow around charged objects.

Now, new research suggests that those plant sparks may alter the surrounding environment air quality in previously unrecognized ways. But whether the effects of these small tremors in the atmosphere are positive or negative remains unclear.

In the study published August 9 in Journal of Geophysical Research: AtmosphereThe researchers recreated the electric fields from thunderstorms in the lab and analyzed the aura emitted by eight plant species under a range of conditions.

The results showed that all of the hums created an abundance of radicals – chemicals that contain unpaired electrons highly reactive with other compounds – that can dramatically alter the quality of the surrounding air.

“While little is known about the prevalence of these discharges, we estimate that asparagus generated on trees under thunderstorms can have significant effects on the surrounding air,” said the study’s lead author. Jenna Jenkinsan atmospheric scientist at Penn State University, said in a statement.

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The two roots released from the plant’s wreath are hydroxyl (OH) and hydropyroxyl (HO.₂), both of which are negatively charged and are known to oxidize or steal electrons from a number of different chemical compounds, thereby converting them into other molecules.

The researchers were particularly interested in concentrations of hydroxyl radicals because they have a greater effect on air quality.

“The hydroxyl radical contributes to the overall atmospheric oxidation of many atmospheric pollutants,” said study co-author. William BruneA Pennsylvania State University meteorologist said in the statement.

For example, if it reacts with a hydroxyl radical greenhouse gasesLike methane, it can remove harmful particles from the atmosphere and help fight Climate changeBron said.

But if the same radicals react with oxygen, they can form it ozone, which, although playing an important role in the upper atmosphere, are toxic to humans. He added that the roots can also create aerosol particles that harm air quality.

This isn’t the first time researchers have shown the link between thunderstorms and hydroxyl radicals.

In 2021, a research team led by Brun found that lightning was one of the main progenitors of hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere. In their paper published in the magazine Sciencesthe team hypothesized that thunderstorms could be directly responsible for up to one-sixth of the hydroxyl radicals in the atmosphere.

In September, another team led by Brun released a follow-up study published in the journal Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciencesswhich showed that the corona produced by metallic objects such as telephone poles and transmission towers produces a slightly higher level of hydroxyl radicals than the plant’s corona.

However, the levels of roots produced by both the plant and the artificial corona are much lower than those produced directly by lightning.

“Although the cartoons generated by [plant] The aura was weaker than the sparks and lightning we looked at before, and we’re still seeing significant amounts of this hydroxy root, Jenkins said.

She added that given the sheer numbers of trees found in lightning-prone areas, plant-produced hums may represent a largely understudied source of roots with a very unexpected impact on air quality.

“There are about two trillion trees in areas where thunderstorms are most likely to occur globally, and there are 1,800 thunderstorms occurring at any given time,” Jenkins said.

As a result, researchers wish to continue studying these halos in more detail to understand their impact on local air quality and on a larger global scale.

“The hydroxyl radicals are the most important atmospheric cleaners,” Jenkins said. “So getting a better account of where these things are made can give us a more complete understanding of what’s going on in the atmosphere.”

Other studies indicate that thunderstorms may become more frequent and powerful due to human-caused effects Climate changeShe added that understanding the effects of thunderstorms on air quality is vital.

During the experiments, the team made another discovery that could help speed up this area of ​​research: Foliar discharges gave rise to sharp spikes of ultraviolet radiation.

This could allow the team to study where the corona occurs in the field and measure its effect on nearby air quality.

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This article was originally published by Live Science. Read the The original article is here.