When I started in the atmospheric oxidant supply business 12 years ago, I had no idea how much the world of oxidants in the sky stretched far beyond the lab. Back then, I thought oxidants were just lab chemicals—easy to source, easy to measure, easy to deliver. But a roadside conversation with a local air quality technician changed everything. He told me their monitoring kits were running out of ozone, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide faster than their supplier could restock, and missing those measurements meant they couldn’t pinpoint why residential areas near industrial zones were seeing more respiratory issues. That day, I shifted my entire business model. Now, I don’t just sell chemicals; I supply the exact oxidants the atmosphere needs to be monitored, studied, and protected. To do that well, I first had to understand where atmospheric oxidants come from—because that’s the foundation of everything we provide. Oxidant
Let’s start with the big one: ozone (O₃). Most people associate ozone with the stratosphere, where it shields us from UV rays, but around the ground level, it’s a reactive oxidant that shapes air quality. The ground-level ozone story is all about precursors. Vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities spew nitrogen oxides (NOₓ, a mix of NO and NO₂) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from things like gasoline evaporation, paint solvents, and plant emissions. When sunlight hits these two pollutants, a chain reaction kicks off: NO₂ breaks apart into NO and a free oxygen atom, which then binds to O₂ in the air to make ozone. We supply pure ozone for air quality monitoring stations and research labs because precise measurements depend on consistent, high-quality oxidants. When technicians test ozone levels, they rely on calibration standards that match the exact concentration of ozone found in real atmospheric conditions—something we’ve refined over years of working directly with those on-the-ground teams.
But ozone isn’t the only oxidant that matters. The hydroxyl radical (OH) is often called the “atmospheric detergent” because it breaks down most pollutants before they can cause harm. Unlike ozone, it doesn’t come from direct emissions—it forms in tiny amounts when VOCs like isoprene (released by trees) react with ozone, or when nitrous acid (HONO) from vehicle exhaust and industrial processes is broken apart by sunlight. For decades, scientists thought OH levels were relatively stable, but recent studies have found that changes in land use and pollution can shift those levels dramatically. That’s why we also supply hydroxyl radical precursors for lab experiments that replicate real atmospheric conditions. Researchers studying how pollutants spread through urban air need controlled oxidant mixes to test their models, and we make sure those mixes are accurate enough to match what’s happening in cities, forests, and even remote areas.
Hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is another key oxidant, and it plays a critical role in both air quality and atmospheric chemistry. It forms from the reaction of two hydroperoxyl radicals (HO₂), which in turn come from VOC oxidation. Unlike OH or ozone, H₂O₂ is water-soluble, so it’s a major component of rainwater and helps remove pollutants from the atmosphere. It’s also a key oxidant in cloud chemistry, where it reacts with sulfur dioxide to form sulfuric acid, a main component of acid rain. Back in 2017, a team at a midwestern university was studying acid rain formation in agricultural regions—where ammonia from livestock also affects cloud chemistry—and they struggled to get consistent H₂O₂ samples for their fieldwork. We worked with their lab to develop a custom H₂O₂ transport solution that kept the chemical stable for three days, long enough for their research teams to collect samples from remote farm sites. That’s the kind of practical supply support we focus on—not just handing over a drum of chemical, but adapting to what the science and the field needs.
There are also less well-known oxidants that play big roles, especially in different regions. For example, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) is an oxidant that’s formed when ozone reacts with VOCs from vehicle and industrial emissions. It’s unique because it’s stable at lower altitudes but breaks apart at higher temperatures, meaning it can transport pollutants long distances before releasing NOₓ back into the atmosphere. In places like the Mediterranean, where summer heat drives PAN formation, it’s a major contributor to ground-level ozone spikes. Then there’s chlorine radicals, which come from saltwater evaporation and industrial emissions, and are especially active in coastal areas, where they react with VOCs to form ozone. In polar regions, bromine radicals from sea ice emissions oxidize mercury, turning it into a form that’s more easily deposited into the ocean. For researchers studying these polar processes, we supply custom oxidant blends that mimic the unique chemical makeup of polar air—something off-the-shelf suppliers simply don’t offer.
The sources of atmospheric oxidants also vary drastically by environment. In urban areas, most oxidants come from human activities: vehicle exhaust, industrial fumes, and even residential heating. But in remote, natural areas, the main oxidants come from biogenic sources. Forests release vast amounts of isoprene and terpenes, which react with NOₓ from lightning and soil emissions to form OH and ozone. A 2020 study in the Amazon found that biogenic VOCs produce up to 90% of the oxidants in the region’s atmosphere during dry seasons, when human activity is low. That’s a big shift from what scientists thought 20 years ago, and it’s changed the way researchers model global atmospheric chemistry. We’ve responded by developing oxidant standards tailored to both urban and remote environments. For example, our biogenic oxidant mix is designed to replicate the levels of OH, ozone, and H₂O₂ found in old-growth forests, so researchers can test how climate change is altering those natural oxidant cycles.
Seasonal changes also shape oxidant sources. In summer, sunlight is stronger, so photochemical reactions that form oxidants like ozone and OH happen much faster. That’s why many cities see ozone spikes in July and August. Winter, on the other hand, has less sunlight, so oxidant formation is slower, and pollutants often get trapped near the ground by temperature inversions. But in winter, other oxidants come to the fore: nitrous acid (HONO) forms from the reaction of NO₂ with water vapor on cold surfaces, and it’s a major source of OH radicals when sunlight is weak. For monitoring stations in northern climates, we supply HONO calibrants that work in cold temperatures, a detail that many suppliers overlook. A technician in Minneapolis once told us that their old HONO standards would degrade within hours at 0°F, making their winter measurements useless. We adjusted our packaging to include temperature-stabilized solvents, and now their HONO readings are consistent year-round.
I’ve learned over the years that atmospheric oxidants are not just abstract chemicals—they’re central to understanding air quality, climate change, and even human health. When oxidant levels are unbalanced, pollutants stay in the air longer, leading to smog, acid rain, and even increased exposure to harmful particles. Our job as a supplier isn’t just to provide the chemicals needed to measure these oxidants—it’s to support the research and monitoring that keeps communities safe. Last year, we donated a small batch of ozone calibrants to a non-profit that’s working to improve air quality monitoring in rural parts of India, where many villages have no access to formal air quality data. Seeing their team use our calibrants to measure ozone levels that were 2 times the World Health Organization’s limit, and then work with local governments to adjust industrial emissions, reminded me why this work matters.
Agrochemical Raw Material(TC) If you’re a researcher, air quality technician, or organization that needs consistent, high-quality oxidants to study atmospheric chemistry, calibrate monitoring equipment, or support fieldwork, we’re here to help. We work with teams of all sizes—from university labs to government agencies—to develop custom solutions, offer technical support, and ensure our products meet the exact standards needed for your work. Whether you need standard ozone blends, custom hydroxyl radical precursors, or transport-stable hydrogen peroxide for field studies, we have the expertise and products to match. We pride ourselves on being more than a supplier; we’re a partner in understanding atmospheric oxidants and protecting the air we all breathe. To learn more about how we can support your work, reach out to our team to discuss your specific needs.
- Finlayson-Pitts, B. J., & Pitts, J. N. Jr. (2000). Chemistry of the Upper and Lower Atmosphere: Theory, Experiments, and Applications. Academic Press.
- Calvert, J. G. (2005). Mechanisms of Atmospheric Oxidation of the Ozone Layer and Photochemistry. Oxford University Press.
- Lelieveld, J., & Dentener, F. J. (2000). What controls tropospheric ozone? Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres.
- Atkinson, R. (2000). Atmospheric chemistry of VOCs and NOx. Atmospheric Environment.
- Singh, H. B. (Ed.). (1995). Composition, Chemistry, and Climate of the Atmosphere. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Shandong Hefan Chemical Products Co., Ltd.
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