Themed collection Outstanding Papers 2023 – Environmental Science: Atmospheres

The Editors-in-Chief of the Environmental Science journals introduce the Outstanding Papers of 2023.

The effects of aviation's non-CO₂ emissions on climate and air quality are complex and relatively poorly understood. Mitigation measures need to be very carefully considered so that perverse outcomes do not result.

Marine aerosol feedback on biogeochemical cycles and the climate remains highly uncertain due to the complex interplay. This review highlights recent advances in our understanding of organic aerosols, nitrogen, and iron as well as cloud properties over the Pacific Ocean.

Much of the ozone that enters buildings reacts with human skin oils, both on occupants and on other surfaces. Products of these reactions influence human chemical exposures.

Acetaldehyde is ubiquitous in the atmosphere. The relevant sources and the concentrations occurring indoors are discussed and evaluated on the basis of health-related criteria and guide values.

Atmospheric aging through diverse reaction pathways modifies redox potential and composition of organic aerosols, leading to varied dynamic behaviors of aerosols in the respiratory system and endpoint toxic results.

Aqueous photochemistry of isoprene derivatives helps reconcile model budgets of organic aerosol mass and gas-phase formic and acetic acids.

VOC emissions from asphalt pavements at service temperature contribute significantly to SOA formation in urban areas.

Secondary aerosols form from gas-phase molecules that create prenucleation complexes, which grow to form aerosols. Understanding how secondary aerosols form in the atmosphere is essential for a better understanding of global warming.

Agricultural lands produce high loads of aerosol particles, which could cool the climate, overcoming the well-known climate warming effects of agriculture.

The role of meteorology in facilitating the formation and accumulation of ground-level ozone is of great theoretical and practical interest, especially due to emissions shifts and changing global climate.

A multiphase kinetic model analysis quantifies effects of air pollutants on reactive oxygen species production and oxidative stress in the respiratory tract.

When dominated by local emissions, levels of ambient particulate matter (PM) can vary appreciably within a city. In Ireland, residential solid fuel burning is the main PM_2.5 emission source.

In this work, we find significant branching to an accretion product in the self-reaction of ethene-derived hydroxy peroxy radicals.

The fate of BrC in aqueous systems such as clouds and fog droplets does not depend on solid biomass types.

Second and third hand exposure to cannabis smoke is predicted to lead to THC concentrations exceeding impaired driving laws in adults and toddlers, but enhanced ventilation and particle filtration are effective mitigation measures.

PurpleAir sensors are widely used to measure PM_2.5 levels in cities around the world. However, little is known about the change in sensor performance over time. This paper fills this gap.

Deployment times of at least two months and dedicated efforts to limit contamination during transport and storage are recommended to obtain reliable results when using passive samplers for gaseous elemental mercury in the remote atmosphere.

Domestic, or household-level, open burning of plastic waste is a substantial source of air pollutants and greenhouse gases that are often neglected in Guatemala.