A review is presented of some of the ways in which electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy may be useful to investigate systems of relevance to the environmental sciences. Specifically considered are: quantititave ESR, photocatalysis for pollution control; sorption and mobility of molecules in
zeolites;
free radicals produced by mechanical action and by
shock waves from
explosives; measurement of peroxyl radicals and
nitrate radicals in air; determination of
particulate matter polyaromatic
hydrocarbons (PAH),
soot and
black carbon in air; estimation of
nitrate and
nitrite in vegetables and fruit; lipid-peroxidation by solid particles (
silica,
asbestos,
coal dust); ESR of
soils and other biogenic substances: formation of soil organic matter
carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) and no-till farming; detection of
reactive oxygen species in the photosynthetic apparatus of higher plants under light stress; molecular mobility and intracellular glasses in seeds and pollen; molecular mobility in dry cotton; characterisation of the surface of
carbon black used for chromatography; ESR dating for archaeology and determining seawater levels; measurement of the quality of
tea-leaves by ESR; green-catalysts and catalytic media; studies of
petroleum (
crude oil); fuels; methane hydrate; fuel cells; photovoltaics; source rocks; kerogen; carbonaceous chondrites to find an ESR-based marker for extraterrestrial origin; samples from the Moon taken on the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions to understand space-weathering; ESR studies of organic matter in regard to oil and gas formation in the North Sea; solvation by
ionic liquids as green
solvents, ESR in food and nutraceutical research.