Evidence for Substantial Variations of Atmospheric Hydroxyl Radicals in the Past Two Decades

TLDR

The hydroxyl radical is the atmosphere’s primary oxidant, destroying most air pollutants and key gases involved in ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect. Global measurements of methyl chloroform (CH₃CCl₃) provide an accurate proxy for tracking the global and hemispheric behavior of OH. CH₃CCl₃ concentrations rose from 1978 to 1992 and fell below 1978 levels by 2000, indicating that OH increased until 1988 but then declined at an average rate of –0.64 % yr⁻¹, revealing unexpected gaps in our understanding of atmospheric self‑cleaning.

Abstract

The hydroxyl radical (OH) is the dominant oxidizing chemical in the atmosphere. It destroys most air pollutants and many gases involved in ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect. Global measurements of 1,1,1-trichloroethane (CH 3 CCl 3 , methyl chloroform) provide an accurate method for determining the global and hemispheric behavior of OH. Measurements show that CH 3 CCl 3 levels rose steadily from 1978 to reach a maximum in 1992 and then decreased rapidly to levels in 2000 that were lower than the levels when measurements began in 1978. Analysis of these observations shows that global OH levels were growing between 1978 and 1988, but the growth rate was decreasing at a rate of 0.23 ± 0.18% year −2 , so that OH levels began declining after 1988. Overall, the global average OH trend between 1978 and 2000 was −0.64 ± 0.60% year −1 . These variations imply important and unexpected gaps in current understanding of the capability of the atmosphere to cleanse itself.