Research conducted in Houston and the Sierra Nevadas suggests that alkyl nitrates may play a significant role in Houston's ozone chemistry. This new information may help scientists create better computer models of air pollution, which helps policy makers select effective strategies for controlling smog.

There has been some publicity regarding one scientific challenge to building a successful plan to reduce ozone smog - the difficultly in obtaining accurate emissions data regarding industrial emissions of VOCs. Less widely known is the smaller, but still significant, problem with keeping track of nitrogen oxide emissions as they progress through various chemical reactions in the atmosphere.