Missouri S&T researcher Glenn Morrison's paper about interfacial chemistry in indoor environments is the cover story for the latest issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology. You might know Morrison better from his previous research on greasy hair and clean air, in which he pointed out that unwashed hair absorbs more ozone than cleaner hair.

In ES&T journal, Morrison discusses the state of indoor ozone research.

Chemistry taking place at the “human surface” is emerging as an important factor in our understanding of ozone exposure and reaction products. This became apparent in experiments with simulated aircraft cabins, densely occupied with human subjects. The researchers concluded that aircraft occupants are major ozone sinks -- larger than the carpet, seats, and a soiled HEPA filter combined. On the basis of questionnaires completed by the aircraft occupants, they concluded that ozone and its oxidation products had adverse effects on 12 of 29 self-reported symptoms. Evaluation of individual aircraft surfaces, in small-chamber experiments, confirmed the reactivity findings (14). Thus, the collective reactivity of humans in densely occupied settings, such as a classroom, will reduce ozone exposure and increase exposure to skin-oil reaction products. In studies of ozone reaction with human hair, researchers found that the ozone reaction probability for hair is large (>10–4) relative to other indoor surfaces (15). Model analysis suggests that the boundary layer of air surrounding the body, including the breathing zone, may become significantly ozone-depleted and oxidation-product-rich.