An international research team led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the University of Helsinki discovered the new chemical compound, a type of carbonyl oxide that reacts with sulphur dioxide to form sulfuric acid, which is known to have significant impacts on climate and health.
"Sulfuric acid plays an essential role in Earth's atmosphere, from the ecological impacts of acid precipitation to the formation of new aerosol particles, which have significant climatic and health effects. Our findings demonstrate a newly observed connection between the biosphere and atmospheric chemistry," lead author Roy "Lee" Mauldin III said.
The new compound is formed from the reaction of ozone with alkenes, which are a family of hydrocarbons with both natural and man-made sources, researchers said.
The study charts a previously unknown chemical pathway for the formation of sulfuric acid, which can result both in increased acid rain and cloud formation as well as negative respiratory effects on humans.
"With emissions of sulphur dioxide, the precursor of sulfuric acid, expected to rise globally in the future, this new pathway will affect the atmospheric sulphur cycle," he said.
According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, more than 90 per cent of sulphur dioxide emissions are from fossil fuel combustion at power plants and other industrial facilities.
Also Read
Airborne sulfuric acid particles play the main role in the formation of clouds, which can have a cooling effect on the atmosphere, he said. Smaller particles near the planet's surface have been shown to cause respiratory problems in humans.
Particulates from sulfuric acid over the forests there may be forming more clouds than normal, cooling the region by reflecting sunlight back to space.
The study finding were published in the journal 'Nature'.