Articles | Volume 26, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-12479-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-12479-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
02 Sep 2026
Research article |
| 02 Sep 2026
| 02 Sep 2026
Revisiting the critical role of stabilized Criegee intermediates (sCIs) in sulfuric acid formation: coupling mechanistic updates with interpretable machine learning
Yuhuan Zhu
Key Laboratory for Semi–Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Qiang Chen
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Key Laboratory for Semi–Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Lanzhou University Applied Technology Research Institute Co., Ltd, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Luyan He
Key Laboratory for Semi–Arid Climate Change of the Ministry of Education, College of Atmospheric Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China
Chunlin Shang
Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region Environmental Monitoring Center, Wuhai Branch, Wuhai, 016000, China
Li Jiang
Gansu Provincial Ecological and Environmental Engineering Assessment Center, Lanzhou 730000, China
Donghong Guan
Gansu Provincial Ecological and Environmental Engineering Assessment Center, Lanzhou 730000, China
Guirong Yao
Gansu Provincial Ecological and Environmental Engineering Assessment Center, Lanzhou 730000, China
Wenkai Guo
Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu, 611756, China
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Short summary
We studied how sulfur dioxide in air becomes sulfuric acid through a chemical route that has often been underestimated. By updating reaction data, running chemistry simulations, and using an explainable machine-learning framework, we found that this pathway makes a meaningful contribution and changes how sulfuric acid responds to changes in air pollutants. These findings suggest that reducing emissions of alkene-related organic gases may help limit sulfuric acid formation and particle pollution.
We studied how sulfur dioxide in air becomes sulfuric acid through a chemical route that has...
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