Qingyuan Song, Baowei Chen, Bolei Chen, Yong Liang, Ligang Hu, Jianbo Shi, Maoyong Song, Xinxing Zhang, Yongguang Yin, Yong Cai, Guibin Jiang
Aqueous interfaces, such as those formed at the surface of microdroplets, can spontaneously generate reactive species, driving the critical redox reactions. This raises a pivotal question: could such laboratory-observed interfacial phenomena be integrated into our broader understanding of pollutant transformation and transport dynamics? In this perspective, we discuss this issue in the context of climate warming and changes in hydrological processes, focusing on how these environmental changes may alter the occurrence, composition, and reaction conditions of aqueous interfaces. Notably, aqueous interfaces may represent a previously underrecognized factor influencing the fate and transport of global pollutants, such as mercury. Bridging laboratory findings with field observations will be essential for linking microscale interfacial chemistry to macroscale environmental outcomes, ultimately improving predictive models of global pollutant cycling in a warming world.