Impacts of meteorological parameters on the occurrence of air pollution episodes in the Sichuan basin

Episodes of fine-particulate matter(PM_2.5) pollution are a widespread and common occurrence in China, and have potentially serious implications for human health. Meteorological conditions play an important role in air quality and influence the formation of regional air pollution episodes. This study applied a new classification method and daily PM_2.5 concentration data to(a) evaluate different levels of air pollution in the Sichuan–Chongqing region between 2015 and 2017, an...     

石家庄地区大气细粒子增长特征初步研究

为研究石家庄地区大气细粒子的微物理特征,2010年5月在石家庄市气象局观测站,对大气颗粒物、NOx和SO2进行了外场观测.结果表明:石家庄地区粒径小于1.0μm的大气颗粒物中,0.01~0.1μm粒径范围的粒子所占比例高达89.3%,大气细粒子污染较为严重.0.01~0.02μm和0.02~0.1μm粒径范围的颗粒物具有大致相似的变化规律,且与0.1~1.0μm粒径范围的粒子数浓度变化趋势明显不同.通过对典型粒子增长事件的研究发现,0.01~0.02μm的粒子数浓度在上午8:00左右会急剧升高,并达到全天的最大值.其后,0.01~0.02μm的颗粒物粒径会不断增长,由于增长消耗,其数浓度会迅速下降,使得0.02~0.04μm的粒子数浓度在上午12:00前会迅速升高.通过对气象要素和污染气体的分析,发现在相对湿度较低、风速风向变化不大,太阳辐射增加的情况下,SO2气相成核参与颗粒物增长的可能性较大.     

Atmospheric pollution of agriculture-oriented cities in Northeast China: A case in Suihua

Agriculture-oriented cities in Northeastern China have experienced frequent atmospheric pollution events. Deeper understandings of the pollution characteristics, haze causes and effects of management on local air quality are crucial for conducting integrated management approaches for the sustainable development of agriculture-oriented cities. Taking a typical agriculture-dominant city( i.e., Suihua) in Northeast China, we analyzed in detail the characteristics and causes of atmospheric pollution...     

A meta-analysis of heavy metals pollution in farmland and urban soils in China over the past 20 years

A total of 713 research papers about field monitor experiments of heavy metals in farmland and urban soils in China, published from 2000 to 2019, were obtained. A meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the level of China's heavy metal pollution in soils, mainly focusing on eight heavy metals. It was found that the average concentrations of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), and arsenic (As) in China were 0.19, 30.74, 85.86, 25.81, 0.074, 67.37, 27.77 and 8.89 mg/kg, respectively. Compared with the background value (0.097 mg/kg), the Cd content showed a twofold (0.19 mg/kg) rise in farmland soils and a threefold (0.29 mg/kg) rise in urban soils. The decreasing order of the mean I_geo was Cd (1.77) > Pb (0.62) > Zn (0.60) > Cu (0.58) > Hg (0.57) > Cr (0.54) > Ni (0.47) > As (0.28). Nearly 33.54% and 44.65% of sites in farmland and urban soils were polluted with Cd. The average concentrations of eight heavy metals were not sensitive change in recent two decades in farmland and urban soils. The average P_n values for urban (2.52) and farmland (2.15) soils showed that heavy metal pollution in urban soils was more serious than that in farmland, and the middle Yangtze River regions, where industrial activity dominates, were the most polluted. The meta-analysis comprehensively evaluated the current pollution situation of soil heavy metal, and provided important basis for soil management and environment prevention in China.     

Development of a standardized in vitro approach to evaluate microphysical, chemical, and toxicological properties of combustion-derived fine and ultrafine particles

Ultrafine particles represent a growing concern in the public health community but their precise role in many illnesses is still unknown. This lack of knowledge is related to the experimental difficulty in linking their biological effects to their multiple properties, which are important determinants of toxicity. Our aim is to propose an interdisciplinary approach to study fine(FP) and ultrafine(UFP) particles, generated in a controlled manner using a mini CAST(Combustion Aerosol Standard) soot ...     

Ozone pollution characteristics and sensitivity analysis using an observation-based model in Nanjing, Yangtze River Delta Region of China

Ground-level ozone (O₃) has become a critical pollutant impeding air quality improvement in Yangtze River Delta region of China.In this study,we present O₃ pollution characteristics based on one-year online measurements during 2016 at an urban site in Nanjing,Jiangsu Province.Then,the sensitivity of O₃ to its precursors during 2 O₃ pollution episodes in August was analyzed using a box model based on observation (OBM).The relative incremental reactivity...     

Variations and drivers of aerosol vertical characterization after clean air policy in China based on 7-years consecutive observations

Understanding the aerosol vertical characterization is of great importance to both climate and atmospheric environment. This study investigated the variations of aerosol profiles over eight regions of interest in China after clean air policy (2013-2019) and discussed the drivers of the vertical aerosol structure, using observations from active satellite measurements (CALIPSO). From the annual variation, the amplitude of extinction coefficient profiles showed a decreasing trend with fluctuations, and the maximum was 0.21 km⁻¹ in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (JJJ). For regions suffered from air pollution, the variation was greatest below 0.45 km, while it was between 1-1.5 km for Sichuan Basin. The correlation coefficient between the relative humidity (RH) and the extinction coefficient indicated that the increase of RH inhibited the decrease of the extinction coefficient in the Yangtze River Delta. In most regions, the main aerosol subtypes were polluted dust and polluted continental, but they were coarser in JJJ and North West. The frequency of concurrency of dust and polluted dust aerosols decreased in JJJ, but polluted continental aerosols occurred more frequently. Further, the aerosol extinction coefficient profiles under different pollution conditions showed that it changed most during heavy pollution periods in JJJ, especially in 2017, with a significant aerosol loading between ∼700 and 1200 m. The atmospheric reanalysis data revealed that the weak convergence at low level and the divergence at high level supported the upward transport of aerosols in 2017. Overall, the differences in divergence allocation, RH, and wind filed were the main meteorological drivers.     

Cross-boundary transport and source apportionment for PM2.5 in a typical industrial city in the Hebei Province, China: A modeling study

Cross-boundary transport of air pollution is a difficult issue in pollution control for the North China Plain. In this study, an industrial district (Shahe City) with a large glass manufacturing sector was investigated to clarify the relative contribution of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) to the city's high levels of pollution. The Nest Air Quality Prediction Model System (NAQPMS), paired with Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF), was adopted and applied with a spatial resolution of 5 km. During the study period, the mean mass concentrations of PM_2.5, SO₂, and NO₂ were observed to be 132.0, 76.1, and 55.5 μg/m³, respectively. The model reproduced the variations in pollutant concentrations in Shahe at an acceptable level. The simulation of online source-tagging revealed that pollutants emitted within a 50-km radius of downtown Shahe contributed 63.4% of the city's total PM_2.5 concentration. This contribution increased to 73.9±21.2% when unfavorable meteorological conditions (high relative humidity, weak wind, and low planetary boundary layer height) were present; such conditions are more frequently associated with severe pollution (PM_2.5 ≥ 250 μg/m³). The contribution from Shahe was 52.3±21.6%. The source apportionment results showed that industry (47%), transportation (10%), power (17%), and residential (26%) sectors were the most important sources of PM_2.5 in Shahe. The glass factories (where chimney stack heights were normally < 70 m) in Shahe contributed 32.1% of the total PM_2.5 concentration in Shahe. With an increase in PM_2.5 concentration, the emissions from glass factories accumulated vertically and narrowed horizontally. At times when pollution levels were severe, the horizontally influenced area mainly covered Shahe. Furthermore, sensitivity tests indicated that reducing emissions by 20%, 40%, and 60% could lead to a decrease in the mass concentration of PM_2.5 of of 12.0%, 23.8%, and 35.5%, respectively.     

The pollution levels, variation characteristics, sources and implications of atmospheric carbonyls in a typical rural area of North China Plain during winter

Atmospheric carbonyls were measured at a typical rural area of the North China Plain (NCP) from November 13 to December 24, 2017 to investigate the pollution characteristics, sources and environmental implications. Fifteen carbonyls were detected, and formaldehyde, acetaldehyde and acetone accounted for about 81% at most. The concentration of the total carbonyls in heavily polluted days was twice more than that in clean days. In contrast to other carbonyls, m-tolualdehyde exhibited relatively high concentrations in the clean days in comparison with the polluted days. The ratios of three principal carbonyls to CO showed similar daily variations at different pollution levels with significant daytime peaks. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the contributions of background, primary and secondary sources to three principal carbonyls showed similar variation trends from the clean level to the heavily polluted level. The OH formation rate of formaldehyde showed a similar variation trend to its photodegradation rate, reaching the peak value at noon, which is important to maintain relatively high OH levels to initiate the oxidation of various gas-phase pollutants for secondary pollutant formation at the rural site. OH radical consumption rate and ozone formation potential (OFP) calculations showed that formaldehyde and acetaldehyde were the dominant oxidative species among measured carbonyls. As for OH radical consumption, n-butyraldehyde and m-tolualdehyde were important contributors, while for ozone formation potential, n-butyraldehyde and propionaldehyde made significant contributions. In addition, the contribution of carbonyl compounds to secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation was also important and needs further investigation.     

A review of atmospheric benzene homologues in China: Characterization, health risk assessment, source identification and countermeasures

Benzene homologues are important chemical precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol(SOA) in the atmosphere,in addition,some toxic species are harmful to human health.Strict countermeasures have been taken to fight air pollution since 2013,and total amount control of volatile organic compounds is being promoted in China at present.Therefore,it is important to understand the pollution situation and the control status of ambient benzene homologues in China.This...     

济南市典型机动车的尾气颗粒物污染特征与影响因素研究

采用便携式仪器,借鉴双怠速尾气检测法,利用自行设计的尾气采样装置,选择济南市区道路上10辆不同类型的机动车,现场测量尾气颗粒物的质量浓度和数浓度.基于实验数据,分析了机动车尾气颗粒物污染特征,深入探索了影响尾气颗粒物浓度的主要因素,提出了相应的对策建议.结果表明:①怠速工况下机动车尾气中PM_(2.5)和PM_(10)质量浓度、PM_(0.01～1)数浓度较低,平均分别为0.035～1.434和0.049～3.669 mg·m~(-3)、(0.95～21.69)×10~4 cm~(-3);高怠速工况下颗粒物质量浓度和数浓度较高, PM_(2.5)质量浓度为0.350～5.132 mg·m~(-3),最大值来自大型柴油货车8.394 mg·m~(-3); PM_(10)质量浓度高达1.708～7.862 mg·m~(-3),最大值来自大型柴油客车8.672 mg·m~(-3); PM_(0.01～1)数浓度为(6.78～40.68)×10~4 cm~(-3).②随着发动机转速和车型增大、排放标准降低,机动车尾气中颗粒物质量浓度和数浓度明显升高.与怠速工况相比,高怠速工况下的PM_(2.5)质量浓度升高3～44倍, PM_(0.01～1)数浓度升高2～33倍.与小型车相比,中、大型车的PM_(2.5)质量浓度升高约5倍, PM_(0.01～1)数浓度升高约2倍.使用92号汽油排放的颗粒物质量浓度与数浓度约为95号汽油车的2倍,柴油车排放的颗粒物浓度高于汽油车.国III标准的汽油车尾气颗粒物的质量浓度与数浓度约是国IV和国V标准的2～4倍.③提高机动车排放标准和燃油品质,减少在实际道路行驶中突然加速或启动等高怠速工况的瞬态变化,加强对中、大型车尤其是大型柴油车的监管,能够一定程度上减轻机动车尾气颗粒物污染.     

组合人工湿地对城镇污水处理厂尾水中有机物的去除特征研究

采用物理分级和三维荧光光谱法,研究了组合人工湿地对城镇污水处理厂尾水中不同形态有机物的去除特征.结果表明,组合人工湿地对污水处理厂尾水具有较好的深度处理效果,出水水质基本可以达到国家地表水环境质量标准(GB38382-2002)Ⅲ或Ⅳ类水标准.组合人工湿地处理系统对尾水中CODCr和BOD5总体去除率分别达到35.2%和44.3%,对尾水中总有机碳(TOC)、溶解性有机碳(DOC)、颗粒有机碳(POC)的平均去除率分别为46.9%、45.9%、48.3%.组合人工湿地系统不同单元对尾水中有机物的去除贡献率存在差异,其中,潜流湿地单元对尾水中CODCr和BOD5及其不同组分有机碳的去除效率较高.试验期间,由于藻类滋生,表流湿地单元出水中有机物含量波动较大,去除效果明显降低,藻类被打捞后,出水水质明显改善.三维荧光光谱分析结果显示,各个处理单元取样点的水样三维荧光光谱均出现4个明显的荧光峰.人工湿地各单元出水溶解性有机质(DOM)中,类蛋白和类腐殖酸物质含量较高,类富里酸物质含量较低.人工湿地对类蛋白和类腐殖酸物质有较强的去除作用.     

Short-term impacts of air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio among urban adults in China

The short-term impacts of urban air pollution on the platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) remain obscure.In this study,we included 3487 urban adults from the Wuhan-Zhuhai cohort.Individual inhalation exposure to air pollutants was estimated by combining participants’daily breath volume and ambient concentrations of six air pollutants (includingfine particulate matter (PM_2.5),inhalable particulate matter(PM₁₀),nitrogen dioxide (NO₂...     

Progressively narrow the gap of PM2.5 pollution characteristics at urban and suburban sites in a megacity of Sichuan Basin, China

Nowadays, the fine particle pollution is still severe in some megacities of China, especially in the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China. In order to understand the causes, sources, and impacts of fine particles, we collected PM_2.5 samples and analyzed their chemical composition in typical months from July 2018 to May 2019 at an urban and a suburban (background) site of Chengdu, a megacity in this region. The daily average concentrations of PM_2.5 ranged from 5.6-102.3 µg/m³ and 4.3-110.4 µg/m³ at each site. Secondary inorganics and organic matters were the major components in PM_2.5 at both sites. The proportion of nitrate in PM_2.5 has exceeded sulfate and become the primary inorganic component. SO₂ was easier to transform into sulfate in urban areas because of Mn-catalytic heterogeneous reactions. In contrast, NO₂ was easily converted in suburbs with high aerosol water content. Furthermore, organic carbon in urban was much greater than that in rural, other than elemental carbon. Element Cr and As were the key cancer risk drivers. The main sources of PM_2.5 in urban and suburban areas were all secondary aerosols (42.9%, 32.1%), combustion (16.0%, 25.2%) and vehicle emission (15.2%, 19.2%). From clean period to pollution period, the contributions from combustion and secondary aerosols increased markedly. In addition to tightening vehicle controls, urban areas need to restrict emissions from steel smelters, and suburbs need to minimize coal and biomass combustion in autumn and winter.     

Effectiveness evaluation of water-sprinkling in controlling urban fugitive road dust based on TRAKER method: A case study in Baoding, China

Fugitive road dust (FRD) contributes a great deal to urban rainwater and air pollution and is commonly controlled by water-sprinkling in most Chinese cities. However, there is a lack of information on its effectiveness. We used the Testing Re-entrained Aerosol Kinetic Emissions from Roads (TRAKER) method to monitor different types of roads in Baoding city before and within 1 hr after water-sprinkling and obtained the road dirtiness index (a) and PM concentration in the road environment ($T_{\mathrm{T}}^{*}$), to evaluate the removal efficiency for PM deposited on the road surface (${\eta }_a$) and the reduction efficiency for the PM concentration in the road environment (${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$). The results give that the ${\eta }_a$ for three types of roads is ranked: branch road (87%-–100%) > major arterial road (80%-83%) > minor arterial road (68%-77%), and the ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ ranked: minor arterial road (70%) > branch road (46%-58%) > major arterial road (37%-53%). The ${\eta }_a$ and ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ varied non-linearly with time and presented a quadratic curve. The average effective control time (${\eta }_{\mathit{a}}$> 0) was 62 min on the major and minor arterial roads, and much longer than 1 hr on branch roads. The ${\eta }_{\text{PM}}$ values diminished completely by 72 min on average from the end of sprinkling for the three types of roads. Water-sprinkling can remove PM₁₀ particles from the road surface and reduce their concentration in the road environment more thoroughly than PM_2.5. Our findings could be helpful for controlling urban FRD emissions more efficiently and precisely.     

Reactive uptake of NO2 on volcanic particles: A possible source of HONO in the atmosphere

The heterogeneous degradation of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) on five samples of natural Icelandic volcanic particles has been investigated. Laboratory experiments were carried out under simulated atmospheric conditions using a coated wall flow tube (CWFT). The CWFT reactor was coupled to a blue light nitrogen oxides analyzer (NO_x analyzer), and a long path absorption photometer (LOPAP) to monitor in real time the concentrations of NO₂, NO and HONO, respectively. Under dark and ambient relative humidity conditions, the steady state uptake coefficients of NO₂ varied significantly between the volcanic samples probably due to differences in magma composition and morphological variation related with the density of surface OH groups. The irradiation of the surface with simulated sunlight enhanced the uptake coefficients by a factor of three indicating that photo-induced processes on the surface of the dust occur. Furthermore, the product yields of NO and HONO were determined under both dark and simulated sunlight conditions. The relative humidity was found to influence the distribution of gaseous products, promoting the formation of gaseous HONO. A detailed reaction mechanism is proposed that supports our experimental observations. Regarding the atmospheric implications, our results suggest that the NO₂ degradation on volcanic particles and the corresponding formation of HONO is expected to be significant during volcanic dust storms or after a volcanic eruption.     

东海区小黄鱼总允许渔获量初探

根据1991~2003年中国渔业统计年鉴以及东海区渔业资源动态监测网各网站监测产量和捕捞努力量(投网次数)数据,通过同时期东海区小黄鱼产量对海区总捕捞努力量进行标准化,运用剩余产量模型中的Fox模型估算东海区小黄鱼最大持续产量(MS Y)、最适产量(Y0.1)和总允许渔获量(TAC)。结果表明,东海区小黄鱼的最大持续产量为116 565 t,相应捕捞努力量(fMSY)为4 988 315网次,最适产量为113 068 t,相应捕捞努力量(f0.1)为3 890 886网次,TACMSY=99 317 t,TAC0.1=77 468 t。建议以东海区小黄鱼总允许渔获量(TAC0.1)作为渔获量限额指标,对小黄鱼的总允许渔获量进行管理。     

Influence of urban morphological parameters on the distribution and diffusion of air pollutants: A case study in China

Air pollution has a serious fallout on human health, and the influences of the different urban morphological characteristics on air pollutants cannot be ignored. In this study, the relationship between urban morphology and air quality (wind speed, CO, and PM_2.5) in residential neighborhoods at the meso-microscale was investigated. The changes in the microclimate and pollutant diffusion distribution in the neighborhood under diverse weather conditions were simulated by Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). This study identified five key urban morphological parameters (Building Density, Average Building Height, Standard Deviation of Building Height, Mean Building Volume, and Degree of Enclosure) which significantly impacted the diffusion and distribution of pollutants in the neighborhood. The findings of this study suggested that three specific strategies (e.g. volume of a single building should be reduced, DE should be increased) and one comprehensive strategy (the width and height of the single building should be reduced while the number of single buildings should be increased) could be illustrated as an optimized approach of urban planning to relief the air pollution. The result of the combined effects could provide a reference for mitigating air pollution in sustainable urban environments.     

2015世界互联网大会期间嘉兴市大气细颗粒物污染特征及来源研究——以单颗粒气溶胶质谱技术为例

基于单颗粒气溶胶质谱技术,于2015年12月12—23日互联网大会期间开展了嘉兴市细颗粒物污染特征和来源研究.结果显示,观测期间共捕捉到5次不同的污染过程,分别为:管控期的区域输送(P1)-清洁天(P2)-本地排放(P3)过程,以及管控后的污染反弹(P4)-重污染程(P5)过程.污染期间(P1、P5),硝酸盐含量及比例均有显著增加,并且增加的主要是老化的硝酸盐颗粒,表明硝酸盐的二次转化对长三角地区高浓度细颗粒物形成具有重要影响.受管控措施和南下的强冷空气影响,会议期间,除有机碳和生物质燃烧组分外,PM_(2.5)质量浓度及其它各组分浓度均有不同程度的下降.管控措施解除后(P5),受区域输送和本地污染物积累共同作用,颗粒物浓度开始反弹并持续升高,硝酸盐和EC组分均有明显增加,并且呈现出早、晚高峰值.源解析结果显示,P5期间颗粒物浓度反弹与机动车尾气排放密切相关.研究表明,实施管控措施对降低机动车尾气排放和PM_(2.5)质量浓度、改善环境空气质量等效果显著.     

Evidence of aircraft activity impact on local air quality: A study in the context of uncommon airport operation

Wuhan Tianhe International Airport (WUH) was suspended to contain the spread of COVID-19, while Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport (SHA) saw a tremendous flight reduction. Closure of a major international airport is extremely rare and thus represents a unique opportunity to straightforwardly observe the impact of airport emissions on local air quality. In this study, a series of statistical tools were applied to analyze the variations in air pollutant levels in the vicinity of WUH and SHA. The results of bivariate polar plots show that airport SHA and WUH are a major source of nitrogen oxides. NO_x, NO₂ and NO diminished by 55.8%, 44.1%, 76.9%, and 40.4%, 33.3% and 59.4% during the COVID-19 lockdown compared to those in the same period of 2018 and 2019, under a reduction in aircraft activities by 58.6% and 61.4%. The concentration of NO₂, SO₂ and PM_2.5 decreased by 77.3%, 8.2%, 29.5%, right after the closure of airport WUH on 23 January 2020. The average concentrations of NO, NO₂ and NO_x scatter plots at downwind of SHA after the lockdown were 78.0%, 47.9%, 57.4% and 62.3%, 34.8%, 41.8% lower than those during the same period in 2018 and 2019. However, a significant increase in O₃ levels by 50.0% and 25.9% at WUH and SHA was observed, respectively. These results evidently show decreased nitrogen oxides concentrations in the airport vicinity due to reduced aircraft activities, while amplified O₃ pollution due to a lower titration by NO under strong reduction in NO_x emissions.