The levels, sources and reactivity of volatile organic compounds in a typical urban area of Northeast China

Air concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were continually measured at a monitoring site in Shenyang from 20 August to 16 September 2017. The average concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and carbonyls were 28.54, 6.30, 5.59 and 9.78 ppbv, respectively. Seven sources were identified by the Positive Matrix Factorization model based on the measurement data of VOCs and CO. Vehicle exhaust contributed the most (36.15%) to the total propene-equivalent concentration of the measured VOCs, followed by combustion emission (16.92%), vegetation emission and secondary formation (14.33%), solvent usage (10.59%), petrochemical industry emission (9.89%), petrol evaporation (6.28%), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) usage (5.84%). Vehicle exhaust, solvent usage and combustion emission were found to be the top three VOC sources for O₃ formation potential, accounting for 34.52%, 16.55% and 11.94%, respectively. The diurnal variation of the total VOCs from each source could be well explained by their emission characteristics, e.g., the two peaks of VOC concentrations from LPG usage were in line with the cooking times for breakfast and lunch. Wind rose plots of the VOCs from each source could reveal the possible distribution of the sources around the monitoring site. The O₃ pollution episodes during the measurement period were found to be coincident with the elevation of VOCs, which was mainly due to the air parcel from the southeast direction where petrochemical industry emission was found to be dominant, suggesting that the petrochemical industry emission from the southeast was probably a significant cause of O₃ pollution in Shenyang.     

The ratio between nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide total emissions as precursors of tropospheric hydroxyl content evolution

The Main Geophysical Observatory 2D channel photochemical model is used to study the behavior of tropospheric OH within the 30–60°N zonal belt in relation to changing NO_X and CO emissions. The changes of tropospheric OH as a function of the contributions by NO_X and CO emissions during the period 1850–2050 are calculated. Our estimations show that the largest annual increment of total tropospheric OH within the belt considered occurs in the 1985–1995 period, about 0.27% yr⁻¹. Based on scenarios of tropospheric pollution emissions in the first half of 21st century, the total tropospheric OH content will increase more slowly, by 0.12–0.15% yr⁻¹. The maximum growth of OH concentration occurs close to air pollution locations—in the lower troposphere during 1850–1995 but in the upper troposphere in the 21st century when the NO_X source from subsonic aircraft increases faster than the surface source.     

Characterization of odorous charge and photochemical reactivity of VOC emissions from a full-scale food waste treatment plant in China

Food waste treatment plants(FWTPs) are usually associated with odorous nuisance and health risks, which are partially caused by volatile organic compound(VOC) emissions. This study investigated the VOC emissions from a selected full-scale FWTP in China. The feedstock used in this plant was mainly collected from local restaurants. For a year, the FWTP was closely monitored on specific days in each season. Four major indoor treatment units of the plant, including the storage room, sorting/crushing room, hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, and aerobic fermentation unit, were chosen as the monitoring locations.The highest mean concentration of total VOC emissions was observed in the aerobic fermentation unit at 21,748.2–31,283.3 μg/m3, followed by the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit at 10,798.1–23,144.4 μg/m3. The detected VOC families included biogenic compounds(oxygenated compounds, hydrocarbons, terpenes, and organosulfur compounds) and abiogenic compounds(aromatic hydrocarbons and halocarbons). Oxygenated compounds,particularly alcohols, were the most abundant compounds in all samples. With the use of odor index analysis and principal components analysis, the hydrothermal hydrolysis and aerobic fermentation units were clearly distinguished from the pre-treatment units, as characterized by their higher contributions to odorous nuisance. Methanthiol was the dominant odorant in the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, whereas aldehyde was the dominant odorant in the aerobic fermentation unit. Terpenes, specifically limonene, had the highest level of propylene equivalent concentration during the monitoring periods. This concentration can contribute to the increase in the atmospheric reactivity and ozone formation potential in the surrounding air.     

Characterization of odorous charge and photochemical reactivity of VOC emissions from a full-scale food waste treatment plant in China

Food waste treatment plants (FWTPs) are usually associated with odorous nuisance and health risks, which are partially caused by volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. This study investigated the VOC emissions from a selected full-scale FWTP in China. The feedstock used in this plant was mainly collected from local restaurants. For a year, the FWTP was closely monitored on specific days in each season. Four major indoor treatment units of the plant, including the storage room, sorting/crushing room, hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, and aerobic fermentation unit, were chosen as the monitoring locations. The highest mean concentration of total VOC emissions was observed in the aerobic fermentation unit at 21,748.2–31,283.3 μg/m³, followed by the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit at 10,798.1–23,144.4 μg/m³. The detected VOC families included biogenic compounds (oxygenated compounds, hydrocarbons, terpenes, and organosulfur compounds) and abiogenic compounds (aromatic hydrocarbons and halocarbons). Oxygenated compounds, particularly alcohols, were the most abundant compounds in all samples. With the use of odor index analysis and principal components analysis, the hydrothermal hydrolysis and aerobic fermentation units were clearly distinguished from the pre-treatment units, as characterized by their higher contributions to odorous nuisance. Methanthiol was the dominant odorant in the hydrothermal hydrolysis unit, whereas aldehyde was the dominant odorant in the aerobic fermentation unit. Terpenes, specifically limonene, had the highest level of propylene equivalent concentration during the monitoring periods. This concentration can contribute to the increase in the atmospheric reactivity and ozone formation potential in the surrounding air.     

厦门市光化学污染特征分析

在2013年4月11日—5月22日期间测定厦门市过氧乙酰硝酸酯,研究该地区光化学污染过程,并统计移动源、植物、工业VOCs的排放量。结果表明,光化学污染不仅产生PM2.5,引起市区NO2浓度升高,还会加重霾的产生和污染水平,提出通过优化树种以降低光化学污染。     

The use of experimental data and their uncertainty for assessing ozone photochemistry in the Eastern Iberian Peninsula

Observation-based methods are useful tools to explore the sensitivity of ozone concentrations to precursor controls. With the aim of assessing the ozone precursor sensitivity in two locations: Paterna (suburban) and Villar del Arzobispo (rural) of the Turia river basin in the east of Spain, the photochemical indicator O₃/NO_y and the Extent-of-Reaction (EOR) parameter have been calculated from field measurements. In Paterna, the O₃/NO_y ratio varied from 0 to 13 with an average value of 5.1 (SD 3.2), whereas the averaged value for the EOR was 0.43 (SD 0.14). In Villar del Arzobispo, the O₃/NO_y ratio changed from 5 to 30 with a mean value of 13.6 (SD 4.7) and the EOR gave an averaged value of 0.72 (SD 0.11). The results show two different patterns of ozone production as a function of the location. The suburban area shows a VOC-sensitive regime whereas the rural one shows a transition regime close to NO_x-sensitive conditions. No seasonal differences in these regimes are observed along the monitoring campaigns. Finally, an analysis of the influence of the measurement quality of NO_y, NO_x and O₃ on the uncertainty of the O₃/NO_y ratio and the EOR was performed showing that the uncertainty of O₃/NO_y is not dependent on either its value or the individual values of O₃ and NO_y but just on the quality of O₃ and NO_y measurements. The maximum uncertainty is 26% as long as the combined uncertainties of O₃ and NO_y remain below the 7.5%. The case of the EOR is different and its uncertainty depends on both the value of the EOR parameter and the individual concentration values of NO_y and NO_x. The uncertainty of the EOR estimation can be very high (>200%) if the combined uncertainties of both NO_y and NO_x are high (>7.5%), or especially, if u(NO_y) and u(NO_x) differ considerably from each other (>3.5%).     

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in the urban atmosphere

Peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) in air has been well known as the indicator of photochemical smog due to its frequent occurrences in Seoul metropolitan area. This study was implemented to assess the distribution characteristics of atmospheric PAN in association with relevant parameters measured concurrently. During a full year period in 2011, PAN was continuously measured at hourly intervals at two monitoring sites, Gwang Jin (GJ) and Gang Seo (GS) in the megacity of Seoul, South Korea. The annual mean concentrations of PAN during the study period were 0.64 ± 0.49 and 0.57 ± 0.46 ppb, respectively. The seasonal trends of PAN generally exhibited dual peaks in both early spring and fall, regardless of sites. Their diurnal trends were fairly comparable to each other. There was a slight time lag (e.g., 1 h) in the peak occurrence pattern between O₃ and PAN, as the latter trended to peak after the maximum UV irradiance period (16:00 (GJ) and 17:00 (GS)). The concentrations of PAN generally exhibited strong correlations with particulates. The results of this study suggest that PAN concentrations were affected sensitively by atmospheric stability, the wet deposition of NO₂, wind direction, and other factors.     

Photochemical nitro-nitrite rearrangement in methyl parathion decay under tropical conditions

This work presents a study of the abiotic degradation of commercially available methyl parathion in aqueous solution at two different concentrations (88 mg/L and 200 μg/L). The effects of solar irradiation and the presence of humic acids were evaluated and revealed a synergistic response between them. The half-life of methyl parathion ranged from 4.9 to 37 days, and the experimental data also show that photochemical processes were the most relevant in this case. The only byproduct found in samples submitted to shadowed conditions was 4-nitrophenol. On the other hand, 4-nitrophenol, methyl paraoxon and a new degradation product (O,O-dimethyl O-p-hydroxyphenyl phosphorothioate) were detected when the samples were exposed directly to sunlight. This newly identified compound was prepared in the laboratory by thiophosphorylation of hydroquinone, and coelution experiments with authentic samples provided unambiguous confirmation of the presence of O,O-dimethyl O-p-hydroxy phenylphosphorothioate in samples.     

连云港地区近地面臭氧浓度月均浓度变化特征

利用2014—2018年连云港地区的监测资料,分析了O3的月变化特征,得出O3与NO2、CO呈负相关关系,并给出了相对合理的解释。     

天津市秋季臭氧浓度影响因素及相关关系研究

选择天津市秋季典型重污染时期2005年11月2～7日近地面大气O3、NO、NO2、CO、紫外线(UV)强度和温度等观测数据,研究O3浓度的时间变化特征及其与相关前体物、气象条件的相关关系.结果表明,在观测期间O3浓度存在明显的日变化周期,在13:00～14:00时浓度最大,夜间变化平缓;O3浓度与NO、NO2、NOx和CO等前体物呈较好的负相关关系;温度和UV与O3浓度密切相关,昼间O3与UV呈相同变化趋势,相关系数达0.71,O3浓度变化滞后于UV变化,将O3浓度与前1小时的UV对比分析,相关系数提高到0.81.