What is meant by the “cleansing capacity” of the atmosphere?
The ability of the atmosphere to cleanse itself of many of the compounds emitted by human activity is controlled by a trace constituent called the hydroxol radical (OH). This is often referred to as the “cleansing capacity” of the atmosphere. The hydroxol radical can be thought of as the atmospheric “detergent”. Carbon monoxide levels primarily control the global abundance of this cleaning agent. Global increases in carbon monoxide may thus reduce the atmosphere’s ability to rid itself of pollution.
