Best ES&T Letters Paper of 2019

The paper “Heterogeneous SO2 Oxidation in Sulfate Formation by Photolysis of Particulate Nitrate” co-authored by Masao Gen, Ruifeng Zhang, Dan Dan Huang, Yongjie Li, and Chak K. Chan investigates a new pathway for the formation of sulfate during extreme haze events in China. Their work points to a new pathway for sulfate formation, via the oxidation of sulfur dioxide by the NO₂ and hydroxyl radicals produced upon ultraviolet irradiation of nitrate.

The research was published in the prestigious journal Environmental Science & Technology Letters and was recognised as one of the journal’s five Best Paper Awards winners in 2019 and the only winner in the atmospheric pollution research area. It is considered timely and novel and also had the potential to change the way we think about a particular topic or process.