Chemical Characteristics of Major Inorganic Ions in PM2.5 Based on Year-Long Observations in Guiyang, Southwest China—Implications for Formation Pathways and the Influences of Regional Transport

Sulfate, nitrate and ammonium (SNA) are the dominant components of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in PM2.5, which are of great significance for understanding the sources and transformation mechanisms of PM2.5. In this study, daily PM2.5 samples were collected from September 2017 to August 2018 within the Guiyang urban area and the concentrations of the major WSIs in the PM2.5 samples were characterized. The results showed that the average concentration of SNA (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+) was 15.01 ± 9.35 μg m−3, accounting for 81.05% (48.71–93.76%) of the total WSIs and 45.33% (14.25–82.43%) of the PM2.5 and their possible chemical composition in PM2.5 was (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3. The highest SOR (sulfur oxidation ratio) was found in summer, which was mainly due to the higher temperature and O3 concentrations, while the lowest NOR (nitrogen oxidation ratio) found in summer may ascribe to the volatilization of nitrates being accelerated at higher temperature. Furthermore, the nitrate formation was more obvious in NH4+-rich environments so reducing NH3 emissions could effectively control the formation of nitrate. The results of the trajectory cluster analysis suggested that air pollutants can be easily enriched over short air mass trajectories from local emission sources, affecting the chemical composition of PM2.5.

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Seasonal variations of water-soluble ions in PM10 at a WMO/GAW station in the Yangtze River Delta, China

E3S Web of Conferences ◽

10.1051/e3sconf/202019404058 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 194 ◽

pp. 04058

Author(s):

Dongqing Fang ◽

Junli Jin ◽

Wei Huang ◽

Yong Zhang ◽

Wanqi Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Yangtze River ◽

Inorganic Ions ◽

Yangtze River Delta ◽

Water Soluble ◽

The Yangtze River ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Inorganic Ions ◽

Oxidation Ratio ◽

The Yangtze River Delta

In order to understand the seasonal levels, formation mechanism and atmospheric chemical behaviours of water-soluble ions of PM10 in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, aerosol samples were collected from January 2nd to December 28th, 2017 at a WMO/GAW regional background station in Lin’an. The concentrations of PM mass and nine water-soluble inorganic ions were obtained. The annual average concentration of PM10 was 59.9±33.9 μg m−3, lower than those reported in previous studies, indicating air quality of YRD region was improved. Nine water-soluble inorganic ions was accounted for 30.2-45.1% of the total PM mass, while ammonium (NH4+), sulfate (SO42+), as well as nitrate (NO3-) were the major ions which contributed 86.3% to total ions. The NO3- concentration was lowest in summer but highest in winter, suggesting it was likely influenced by thermodynamics. The levels of SO42- in spring and winter were related to photochemical reaction and regional transportation. Except for the SNA, Ca2+ was highest in four seasons likely due to sand storm and road fugitive dust. The annual mean ratio of [NO3-]/[SO42-] was nearly to 1, indicating mobile and stationary sources were equally important in Lin’an. The mean nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) and sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) were 0.22±0.13 and 0.41±0.13, respectively, suggesting secondary formation was significant in the atmosphere at the background station of YRD region.

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Water-Soluble Ions in Atmospheric Aerosol Measured in a Semi-Arid and Chemical-Industrialized City, Northwest China

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12040456 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 456

Author(s):

Huimin Jiang ◽

Zhongqin Li ◽

Feiteng Wang ◽

Xi Zhou ◽

Fanglong Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sulfur Oxidation ◽

Northwest China ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Heterogeneous Reactions ◽

Anthropogenic Source ◽

Heating Period ◽

Qinghai Province ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Semi Arid

We investigated water-soluble ions (WSIs) of aerosol samples collected from 2016 to 2017 in Lanzhou, a typical semi-arid and chemical-industrialized city in Northwest China. WSIs concentration was higher in the heating period (35.68 ± 19.17 μg/m3) and lower in the non-heating period (12.45 ± 4.21 μg/m3). NO3−, SO42−, NH4+ and Ca2+ were dominant WSIs. The concentration of SO42− has decreased in recent years, while the NO3− level was increasing. WSIs concentration was affected by meteorological factors. The sulfur oxidation and nitrogen oxidation ratios (SOR and NOR) exceeded 0.1, inferring the vital contribution of secondary transformation. Meanwhile higher O3 concentration and temperature promoted the homogeneous reaction of SO2. Lower temperature and high relative humidity (RH) were more suitable for heterogeneous reactions of NO2. Three-phase cluster analysis illustrated that the anthropogenic source ions and natural source ions were dominant WSIs during the heating and non-heating periods, respectively. The backward trajectory analysis and the potential source contribution function model indicated that Lanzhou was strongly influenced by the Hexi Corridor, northeastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, northern Qinghai province, Inner Mongolia Plateau and its surrounding cities. This research will improve our understanding of the air quality and pollutant sources in the industrial environment.

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The variation characteristics and possible sources of atmospheric water-soluble ions in Beijing

10.5194/acp-2016-82 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Pengfei Liu ◽

Chenglong Zhang ◽

Yujing Mu ◽

Chengtang Liu ◽

Chaoyang Xue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mineral Dust ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Effective Control ◽

Pollution Level ◽

Summer Maize ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Variation Characteristics ◽

Oxidation Ratio ◽

Haze Days

Abstract. The North China plain (NCP) including Beijing is currently suffering from severe haze events due to high pollution level of atmospheric fine particles called PM2.5. To mitigate the serious pollution status, identification of the sources of PM2.5 is urgently needed for the effective control measures. A total of 235 daily samples of PM2.5 were collected in Beijing through the year of 2014, and the variation characteristics of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in the PM2.5 were comprehensively analyzed for recognizing their possible sources. The results indicated that the periodic emissions from farmers' activities made evident contribution to the atmospheric WSIs in Beijing. The unusually high ratio of Cl− to Na+ in summer could be rationally explained by the prevailing fertilization of NH4Cl for planting summer maize in the vast area of NCP. The remarkable elevation of Cl− in winter was ascribed to coal combustion for heating by farmers. The most serious pollution episodes in autumn were coincident with significant elevation of Ca2+ which was ascribed to be from harvest of the summer maize and tillage for planting the winter wheat. The mineral dust emission from the harvest and tillage not only increased the atmospheric concentrations of the primary pollutants, but also greatly accelerated formation of sulfate and nitrate through heterogeneous reactions of NO2 and SO2 on the mineral dust. The relatively high concentration of K+ in winter and autumn further confirmed that crop straw burning made evident contribution to atmospheric PM2.5 in Beijing. The backward trajectories also indicated that the highest concentrations of WSIs usually occurred in the air parcel from southwest/south regions with high density of farmers. In addition, the values of nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) and the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) were found to be much higher under haze days than under non-haze days, implying that formation of sulfate and nitrate was greatly accelerated through heterogeneous or multiphase reactions of NO2 and SO2 on PM2.5.

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Analysis of Chemical Composition Characteristics and Source of PM2.5 under Different Pollution Degrees in Autumn and Winter of Liaocheng, China

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12091180 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (9) ◽

pp. 1180

Author(s):

Jingqiao Zhang ◽

Han Wang ◽

Li Yan ◽

Wenwen Ding ◽

Ruize Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Industrial Processes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Air Mass ◽

Transmission Distance ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Autumn And Winter ◽

Composition Characteristics

Analysis of chemical composition characteristics of PM2.5 under different pollution degrees can reveal the changes of pollution sources. In order to make clear the evolution process of PM2.5 compositions in autumn and winter, PM2.5 samples were continuously collected and analyzed at Liaocheng city, China. The collected samples were classified as clean days (CLD), mild-moderate pollution days (MMD) and severe-serious pollution days (SSD). It was concluded that with the increase of pollution degrees, the concentrations of water-soluble ions and carbon components increased significantly, while elements only increased slightly. In addition, as the pollution degrees increased, the percentage of NO3−, SO42− and NH4+ increased significantly, from 23.0% in CLD to 49.0% in SSD, while the percentage of other components decreased, especially crust material. The PMF analyzed results showed that secondary transformation (36.7%), combustion sources (20.4%), secondary organic aerosols (SOA) (11.7%), vehicle sources (11%), dust (10.5%) and industrial processes (9.7%) were the main sources of PM2.5 during autumn and winter in Liaocheng. The contribution of secondary transformation reached 57% at the SSD level, which indicated that it was the main reason for the increase of PM2.5 concentrations. The air mass mainly came from five paths to Liaocheng. The secondary transformation contribution of the air mass with short transmission distance was higher, while the contribution of the dust was higher from the long distance.

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Characteristics of Aerosol during a Severe Haze-Fog Episode in the Yangtze River Delta: Particle Size Distribution, Chemical Composition, and Optical Properties

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11010056 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 56 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Ankang Liu ◽

Honglei Wang ◽

Yi Cui ◽

Lijuan Shen ◽

Yan Yin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particle Size ◽

Optical Properties ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Particle Size Distribution ◽

Size Distribution ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Air Masses ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Wide Range ◽

Water Soluble Ions

Particle size distribution, water soluble ions, and black carbon (BC) concentration in a long-term haze-fog episode were measured using a wide-range particle spectrometer (WPS), a monitor for aerosols and gases (MARGA), and an aethalometer (AE33) in Nanjing from 16 to 27 November, 2018. The observation included five processes of clean, mist, mix, haze, and fog. Combined with meteorological elements, the HYSPLIT model, and the IMPROVE model, we analyzed the particle size distribution, chemical composition, and optical properties of aerosols in different processes. The particle number size distribution (PNSD) in five processes differed: It was bimodal in mist and fog and unimodal in clean, mix, and haze. The particle surface area size distribution (PSSD) in different processes showed a bimodal distribution, and the second peak of the mix and fog processes shifted to a larger particle size at 480 nm. The dominant air masses in five processes differed and primarily originated in the northeast direction in the clean process and the southeast direction in the haze process. In the mist, mix, and fog processes local air masses dominated. NO3− was the primary component of water soluble ions, with the lowest proportion of 45.6% in the clean process and the highest proportion of 53.0% in the mix process. The ratio of NH4+ in the different processes was stable at approximately 23%. The ratio of SO42− in the clean process was 26.2%, and the ratio of other processes was approximately 20%. The average concentration of BC in the fog processes was 10,119 ng·m−3, which was 3.55, 1.80, 1.60, and 1.46 times that in the processes of clean, mist, mix, and haze, respectively. In the different processes, BC was primarily based on liquid fuel combustion. NO3−, SO42−, and BC were the main contributors to the atmospheric extinction coefficient and contributed more than 90% in different processes. NO3− contributed 398.43 Mm−1 in the mix process, and SO42− and BC contributed 167.90 Mm−1 and 101.19 Mm−1, respectively, during the fog process.

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The possible contribution of the periodic emissions from farmers' activities in the North China Plain to atmospheric water-soluble ions in Beijing

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-16-10097-2016 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 16 (15) ◽

pp. 10097-10109 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Pengfei Liu ◽

Chenglong Zhang ◽

Yujing Mu ◽

Chengtang Liu ◽

Chaoyang Xue ◽

...

Keyword(s):

North China Plain ◽

North China ◽

Mineral Dust ◽

Water Soluble ◽

The North ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

High Concentrations ◽

Oxidation Ratio ◽

Haze Days

Abstract. The North China Plain (NCP), which includes Beijing, is currently suffering from severe haze events due to a high pollution level of PM2.5. To mitigate the serious pollution problem, identification of the sources of PM2.5 is urgently needed for the effective control measures. Daily samples of PM2.5 were collected in Beijing city and in a rural area in Baoding, Hebei Province through the year of 2014, and the seasonal variation of water-soluble ions (WSIs) in PM2.5 was comprehensively analysed to determine their possible sources. The results indicated that the periodic emissions from farmers' activities made a significant contribution to the atmospheric WSIs in Beijing. The relatively high concentration of K+ in winter and autumn at the two sampling sites confirmed that crop straw burning contributed to atmospheric K+ in Beijing. The remarkable elevation of Cl− at the two sampling sites as well as the evident increase of the Cl− ∕ K+ ratio and the Cl− proportion in WSIs during the winter in Beijing could be ascribed to coal combustion for heating by farmers. The unusually high ratio of Cl− to Na+ in summer, the obviously high concentrations of Cl− in the rural sampling site and the elevation of Cl− proportion in WSIs in Beijing during the maize fertilization could be explained by the use of the prevailing fertilizer of NH4Cl in the vast area of NCP. The abnormally high concentrations of Ca2+ at the two sampling sites and the elevation of Ca2+ proportion during the period of the maize harvest and soil ploughing in Beijing provided convincing evidence that the intensive agricultural activities in autumn contributed to the regional mineral dust. The most serious pollution episodes in autumn were coincident with significant elevation of Ca2+, indicating that the mineral dust emission from the harvest and soil ploughing not only increased the atmospheric concentrations of the primary pollutants, but also greatly accelerated formation of sulfate and nitrate through heterogeneous reactions of NO2 and SO2 on the mineral dust. The backward trajectories also indicated that the highest concentrations of WSIs usually occurred in the air parcel from southwest–south regions, which have a high density of farmers. In addition, the values of nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) and the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) were found to be much greater under haze days than under non-haze days, implying that formation of sulfate and nitrate was greatly accelerated through heterogeneous or multiphase reactions of NO2 and SO2 on PM2.5.

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Assessment of Surface Water Quality in the Podu Iloaiei Dam Lake (North-Eastern Romania): Potential Implications for Aquaculture Activities in the Area

Water ◽

10.3390/w13172395 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (17) ◽

pp. 2395

Author(s):

Cornelia Amarandei ◽

Alina-Giorgiana Negru ◽

Laurentiu-Valentin Soroaga ◽

Simona-Maria Cucu-Man ◽

Romeo-Iulian Olariu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Chemical Composition ◽

Surface Water Quality ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Sediment Samples ◽

Water And Sediment ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

North Eastern ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Water And Sediment Samples

The Podu Iloaiei Dam Lake located on the Bahluet River from Bahlui hydrographic basin, north-eastern Romania, is one of the most important water resources used for aquaculture activities in the region of interest. In the present study, the chemical composition related to water-soluble ions and elements was assessed in both water and sediment samples collected from the area of interest during July 2017 and October 2017, representative months for warm and cold seasons, respectively. Water-soluble ions (H3C2O2−, HCO2−, C2O42−, F−, Cl−, NO2−, Br−, NO3−, SO42−, Li+, Na+, NH4+, K+, and Ca2+) were analyzed by ion chromatography, while inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to quantify water-soluble fractions of elements (Be, B, Mg, Al, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Ge, Rb, Sr, Mo, Ru, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, Te, Ba, Ir, Tl, Pb, Bi, and U). Evidence was obtained on the contributions of both anthropogenic and natural (pedologic) related sources in controlling the chemical composition of the water and sediment samples in the area. Analysis of Piper diagrams revealed the existence of CO32−/HCO3− and Ca2+/Mg2+ as dominant species for the sediment samples. The interest water pool was found to be oligotrophic over the warm period and eutrophic over the cold period. Overall, abundances and the association of chemical species in the area seemed to be controlled by a complex interplay between the water body’s main characteristics, meteorological factors, and anthropogenic activities. Moreover, the present results suggest that precautions should be taken for physicochemical parameter monitoring and prevention acts for surface water quality assurance in order to control the potential negative influence of some chemical parameters on fish productivity. Reported data also have a high potential to be used by experts in the field of developing lake water management policies for a sustainable exploitation of various aquatic systems.

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Chemical Composition of Water-soluble Ions and Carbonate Estimation in Spring Aerosol at a Semi-arid Site of Tongyu, China

Aerosol and Air Quality Research ◽

10.4209/aaqr.2011.02.0010 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 360-368 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Zhenxing Shen ◽

Xin Wang ◽

Renjian Zhang ◽

Kaifai Ho ◽

Junji Cao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chemical Composition ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Chemical Composition Of Water ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Semi Arid

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Development, characterization and application of an improved online reactive oxygen species analyzer based on MARGA

10.5194/amt-2021-407 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Jiyan Wu ◽

Chi Yang ◽

Chunyan Zhang ◽

Fang Cao ◽

Aiping Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Inorganic Ions ◽

Ambient Air ◽

Atmospheric Particles ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Atmospheric Particulate Matter ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions

Abstract. Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the human body is an important factor leading to diseases. Therefore, research on the content of reactive oxygen species in atmospheric particles is necessary. In order to more conveniently and accurately detect the content of reactive oxygen in atmospheric particles hour by hour. Here, to modify the instrument, it is added a DTT experimental module that is protected from light and filled with nitrogen at the end, based on the Monitor for AeRosols and Gases in ambient Air (MARGA). The experimental study found that the detection limit of the modified instrument is 0.024 nmol min−1. And the accuracy of the online instrument is determined by comparing the online and offline levels of the samples, which yielded good consistency (slope 0.97, R2 = 0.95). It shows that the performance of the instrument is indeed optimized, the instrument is stable, and the characterization of ROS is accurate. Meanwhile, reactive oxygen and inorganic ions in atmospheric particles are quantified using the online technique in the northern suburbs of Nanjing. It is found that the content of ROS during the day is higher than that at night, especially after it rains, ROS peaks appear in the two time periods of 08:00–10:00 and 16:00–18:00. In addition, examination of the online ROS and water-soluble ions (SO42−, NO3−, NH4+, Na+, Ca2+, K+), BC and polluting gases (SO2, CO, O3, NO, NOx) measurements revealed that photo-oxidation and secondary formation processes could be important sources of aerosol ROS. This method breakthrough enables the quantitative assessment of atmospheric particulate matter ROS at the diurnal scale, providing an effective tool to study sources and environmental impacts of ROS.

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Chemical Compositions and Source Analysis of PM2.5 during Autumn and Winter in a Heavily Polluted City in China

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos11040336 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 336

Author(s):

Shasha Tian ◽

Yingying Liu ◽

Jing Wang ◽

Jian Wang ◽

Lujian Hou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Average Concentration ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Source Analysis ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Vehicle Exhaust ◽

Carbonaceous Species ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Heavy Pollution

As one of the biggest cities in North China, Jinan has been suffering heavy air pollution in recent decades. To better characterize the ambient particulate matter in Jinan during heavy pollution periods, we collected daily PM2.5 (particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters equal to or less than 2.5 μm) filter samples from 15 October 2017 to 31 January 2018 and analyzed their chemical compositions (including inorganic water-soluble ions (WSIs), carbonaceous species, and inorganic elements). The daily average concentration of PM2.5 was 83.5 μg/m3 during the sampling period. A meteorological analysis revealed that both low wind speed and high relative humidity facilitated the occurrence of high PM2.5 pollution episodes. A chemical analysis indicated that high concentrations of water-soluble ions, carbonaceous species, and elements were observed during heavy pollution days. The major constituents of PM2.5 in Jinan were secondary aerosol particles and organic matter based on the results of mass closure. Chemical Mass Balance (CMB) was used to track possible sources and identified that nitrate, sulfate, vehicle exhaust and coal fly ash were the main contributors to PM2.5 during heavy pollution days in Jinan, accounting for 25.4%, 18.6%, 18.2%, and 13.3%, respectively.

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