Articles | Volume 26, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8809-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8809-2026
Research article
 | 
24 Jun 2026
Research article |  | 24 Jun 2026

Reassessment of the glyoxal-to-formaldehyde ratio RGF as a proxy for VOC source identification

Simon Bittner, Andreas Richter, Bianca Zilker, Sebastian Donner, Thomas Wagner, Alexandros Panagiotis Poulidis, Leonardo Alvarado, and Mihalis Vrekoussis

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Cited articles

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Short summary
Knowing where air pollutants come from helps assess their impact on human health and climate. One proposed tool is the ratio of two trace gases, glyoxal and formaldehyde, measured from the ground at four sites. This ratio was found to be lower at natural and higher at human-influenced sites, and to vary systematically over the day, season, and with temperature. These patterns suggest that our current understanding of this ratio remains incomplete, limiting its reliable use as a source indicator.
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