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Abstract Nitrate is an important component of atmospheric particulate matter and affects air quality, climate, human health, and the ecosystem. Nitrate was previously considered a permanent sink for nitrogen oxides (NO x ). However, this viewpoint has been challenged in recent years because growing research evidence has shown the transformation of nitrate into NO x (i.e., renoxification). The photolysis of nitrate/HNO 3 , especially in the particulate phase or adsorbed on particles, can be a significant renoxification process in the atmosphere. The formation and photolysis of nitrate in aerosol not only change the diurnal variation of NO x , but also provide long-distance transport of NO x in the form of nitrate, which affects local and regional atmospheric chemistry and air quality. This review summarizes recent advances in the fundamental understanding of the photolysis of nitrate/HNO 3 under various atmospheric conditions, with a focus on mechanisms and key factors affecting the process. The atmospheric implications are discussed and future research is recommended.
Cao et al. (Tue,) studied this question.