Atmospheric formic acid from formicine ants: a preliminary assessment

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Abstract
Formic acid is a ubiquitous constituent of the atmospheric gas and of precipitation, but itssources and their fluxes are poorly understood. One source not previously examined, emissionsfrom formicine ants, IS assessed in this work, and it is shown that, except in urban areas andparticularly in tropical areas, these ants may be a significant source of the formic acid found insome parts of the continental troposphere. This process could thus provide a new example of apotentially strong interaction linking the biosphere and the atmosphere.