Morning dew is a factory for hydroxyl radicals
Stefan Schwarzer
A new study shows that dew on leaves is not a passive process, but fulfills an active chemical function:
When water condenses on leaf surfaces, hydroxyl radicals (•OH) are formed spontaneously—extremely reactive molecules that break down pollutants and influence atmospheric processes.
Key points:
- This process does not require sunlight
- It occurs globally every night on billions of leaves
- Its intensity increases with high humidity and low temperatures—precisely the conditions promoted by vegetation
This makes clear:
Vegetation regulates the climate not only through water and energy fluxes, but also acts as an active chemical surface for cleansing and transforming the atmosphere.
In concrete terms:
- Dew-driven processes can degrade pesticides and organic compounds
- Vegetated surfaces contribute to the self-purification of the atmosphere
- A largely overlooked nocturnal chemical activity emerges at the interface between the biosphere and the atmosphere
Vijay
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Didi Pershouse
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Dr Chandrashekhar M Biradar
Dear Stefan,
Thank you for sharing this fascinating work. The idea that dew formation also functions as an active chemical interface for atmospheric cleansing adds an important new dimension to how we understand vegetation–water-atmosphere interactions.
Here I am sharing my field perspective, early morning mist and dew remain silent lifelines for Rabi and winter cropping systems, particularly critical sustaining vegetation in deserts, drylands, and rainfed regions. They provide most critical life saving atmospheric moisture, support crop establishment, and enhance radiative cooling at the micro-scale, sustaining soil biology and overall vegetation growth and health. You know our Rabi crops like sorghum, safflower, chickpea, etc solely relay on missing mist as these crops are sown after monsoon season over, after November there is no rain till they harvested in March!
However, these subtle yet vital processes appear to be under pressure due to rapid land-use change and landscape simplification.
Based on my preliminary field observations, on the last few seasons, dew and mist formation seem to be lower under large wind turbine in our area. I guess wind turbines can modifying near-surface microclimate through turbulence and vertical mixing between cooler surface air and warmer air aloft, potentially influencing humidity, fog, and dew formation. That said, these effects may highly context-specific, to my knowledge, are not yet well quantified and documented.
It would be very valuable to explore this further. If you come across any studies, field evidence, or observations related to wind turbines and their influence on dew or microclimate processes, I would greatly appreciate your insights.
Warm regards,
Prof (Dr) Chandrashekhar M Biradar
