Characteristics of Particulate Matter at Different Pollution Levels in Chengdu, Southwest of China

Air pollution is becoming increasingly serious along with social and economic development in the southwest of China. The distribution characteristics of particle matter (PM) were studied in Chengdu from 2016 to 2017, and the changes of PM bearing water-soluble ions and heavy metals and the distribution of secondary ions were analyzed during the haze episode. The results showed that at different pollution levels, heavy metals were more likely to be enriched in fine particles and may be used as a tracer of primary pollution sources. The water-soluble ions in PM2.5 were mainly Sulfate-Nitrate-Ammonium (SNA) accounting for 43.02%, 24.23%, 23.50%, respectively. SO42−, NO3−, NH4+ in PM10 accounted for 34.56%, 27.43%, 19.18%, respectively. It was mainly SO42− in PM at Clean levels (PM2.5 = 0~75 μg/m3, PM10 = 0~150 μg/m3), and mainly NH4+ and NO3− at Light-Medium levels (PM2.5 = 75~150 μg/m3, PM10 = 150~350 μg/m3). At Heavy levels (PM2.5 = 150~250 μg/m3, PM10 = 350~420 μg/m3), it is mainly SO42− in PM2.5, and mainly NH4+ and NO3− in PM10. The contribution of mobile sources to the formation of haze in the study area was significant. SNA had significant contributions to the PM during the haze episode, and more attention should be paid to them in order to improve air quality.

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Observation and Source Apportionment of Trace Gases, Water-Soluble Ions and Carbonaceous Aerosol During a Haze Episode in Wuhan

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos10070397 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (7) ◽

pp. 397 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Zhengxu Gao ◽

Xiaoling Wang ◽

Lijuan Shen ◽

Hua Xiang ◽

Honglei Wang

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Principal Component ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Vehicle Exhaust ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Secondary Formation ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Haze Episode ◽

Haze Days

As the new core region of the haze pollution, the terrain effect of sub-basin and water networks over the Twin-Hu Basin (THB) in the Yangtze River Middle-Reach (YRMR) had great impacts on the variations and distributions of air pollutants. In this study, trace gases (NH3, HNO3, and HCl), water-soluble ions (WSIs), organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC) were measured in PM2.5 from 9 January to 27 January 2018, in Wuhan using monitoring for aerosols and gases (MARGA) and a semi-continuous OC/EC analyzer (Model RT-4). The characteristics of air pollutants during a haze episode were discussed, and the PM2.5 sources were quantitatively analyzed on haze and non-haze days using the principal component analysis/absolute principal component scores (PCA/APCS) model. The average PM2.5 concentration was 122.61 μg·m−3 on haze days, which was 2.20 times greater than it was on non-haze days. The concentrations of secondary water soluble ions (WSIs) including NO3−, SO42−, and NH4+ increased sharply on haze days, which accounted for 91.61% of the total WSIs and were 2.43 times larger than the values on non-haze days. The heterogeneous oxidation reactions of NO2 and SO2 during haze episodes were proven to be the major sources of sulfate and nitrate in PM2.5. On haze days, the concentrations of EC, primary organic carbon (POC), and secondary organic carbon (SOC) were 1.68, 1.69, and 1.34 times larger than those on non-haze days, the CO, HNO3, and NH3 concentrations enhanced and relatively low SO2, O3, and HNO2 levels were observed on haze days. The diurnal variations of different pollutants distinctly varied on haze days. The PM2.5 in Wuhan primarily originated from the secondary formation, combustion, dust, industry, and vehicle exhaust sources. The source contributions of the secondary formation + combustion sources to PM2.5 on haze days were 2.79 times larger than the level on non-haze days. The contribution of the vehicle exhaust + combustion source on haze days were 0.59 times the value on non-haze days. This description is supported by a summary of how pollutant concentrations and patterns vary in the THB compared to the variations in other pollution regions in China, which have been more completely described.

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Characteristics of concentrations and chemical compositions for PM<sub>2.5</sub> in the region of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei, China

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions ◽

10.5194/acpd-13-863-2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 863-901 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

P. S. Zhao ◽

F. Dong ◽

D. He ◽

X. J. Zhao ◽

W. Z. Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Coal Combustion ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Motor Vehicle ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Photochemical Oxidation ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Secondary Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Autumn And Winter

Abstract. In order to study the temporal and spatial variations of PM2.5 and its chemical compositions in the region of Beijing, Tianjin, and Hebei (BTH), PM2.5 samples were collected at four urban sites in Beijing (BJ), Tianjin (TJ), Shijiazhuang (SJZ), and Chengde (CD) and one site at Shangdianzi (SDZ) regional background station over four seasons from 2009 to 2010. The samples were weighted for mass concentrations and analyzed in laboratory for chemical profiles of 19 elements (Al, As, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Ni, P, Pb, Sr, Ti, V, and Zn), eight water-soluble ions (Na+, NH4+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, NO3−, and SO42−), and carbon fractions (OC and EC). The concentrations of PM2.5 and its major chemical species were season-dependent and showed spatially similar characteristics in the plain area of BTH. The average annual concentrations of PM2.5 were 71.8–191.2 μg m−3 at five sites, with more than 90 % sampling days exceeded 50 μg m−3 at BJ, TJ, and SJZ. PM2.5 pollution was most serious at SJZ, and the annual concentrations of PM2.5, secondary ions, OC, EC, and most of crustal elements were all highest. Due to stronger photochemical oxidation, the sum of concentrations of secondary ions (NH4+, NO3−, and SO42−) was highest in the summer at SDZ, BJ, TJ, and CD. Analysis of electric charges of water-soluble ions indicated the existence of nitric acid or hydrochloric acid in PM2.5. For all five sites, the concentrations of OC, EC and also secondary organic carbon (SOC) in the spring and summer were lower than those in the autumn and winter. Stable atmosphere and low temperatures appearing more frequently during autumn and winter facilitated the formation of SOC. The sums of crustal elements (Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Ti, Ba, and Sr) were higher in the spring and autumn owing to more days with blowing or floating dust. The concentrations of heavy metals were at higher levels in the BTH area by comparison with other studies. In Shijiazhuang and Chengde, the PM2.5 pollution was dominated by coal combustion. Motor vehicle exhausts and coal combustion emissions both played important role in Tianjin PM2.5$ pollution. However, motor vehicle exhausts had played more important role in Beijing owing to the reduction of coal consumption and sharply increase of cars in recent years. At SDZ, regional transportation of air pollutants from southern urban areas was significant.

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Characteristics of Water Soluble Ions in Atmospheric Aerosol on Clear and Hazy Days at Lin’an Regional Background Station, China

Advanced Materials Research ◽

10.4028/www.scientific.net/amr.356-360.2233 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 356-360 ◽

pp. 2233-2238

Author(s):

Hong Hui Xu ◽

Jie Liu ◽

Min Juan Mao ◽

Jie Yao

Keyword(s):

Atmospheric Aerosol ◽

Yangtze River ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Yangtze River Delta ◽

River Delta ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Coarse Particles ◽

Regional Background ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions

To investigate the characteristics of size distributions and water-soluble ions compositions of atmospheric aerosol in different weather conditions in the area of Yangtze River delta in China, aerosol samples were collected with Andersen cascade sampler on typical clear and hazy days at Lin’an regional background station. The water-soluble ionic concentrations were analyzed by the ion chromatography (IC). Results showed the concentrations of SO42-, NO3-, NH4+ and K+ on hazy days were 20.14, 17.45, 10.30, and 1.27µg m-3 in fine particles, respectively, and the concentrations of NO3-, NH4+ and K+ were 14.50, 2.35 and 0.50µg m-3 in coarse particles, respectively. This was 1.1-2.9 times higher than on clear days. The concentrations of Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+ and Cl- on hazy days were 2.67, 1.33, 0.37, and 1.03µg m-3 in fine particles, respectively, and the concentrations of Ca2+, Na+, Mg2+, Cl- and SO42- were 4.34, 1.27, 0.41, 0.89 and 2.08µg m-3 in coarse particles, respectively. This was 0.6-0.9 times lower than on clear days. K+ and secondary particles including sulfate, nitrate and ammonium came from the long-range transport which mainly from the area of Yangtze River delta, which was the main cause of formation of haze.

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Change in SO42-, NO3- and NH4+ levels in PM2.5 in Beijing from 1999 to 2016

Environmental Science: Current Research ◽

10.24966/escr-5020/100018 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Weili Lin ◽

Keyword(s):

Pollution Control ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Control Measures ◽

Dominant Contribution ◽

Extant Literature ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Secondary Formation ◽

Water Soluble Ions

Extant literature was reviewed to analyze the trend of three water-soluble ions-sulfate (SO42-), nitrate (NO3-), ammonium (NH4+) in PM2.5 in Beijing in recent years, and the reasons affecting changes were investigated. From 1999 to 2016, the concentrations of SNA (the total SO42-, NO3-, and NH4+ in PM2.5) in Beijing showed a zigzag fluctuation. Pollution control measures have been successfully used in controlling the primary fine particles and SO42- in atmospheric fine particles, but not in controlling NO3- and NH4+. From 2013 to 2016, the changes in PM2.5 and SNA showed the same trends in summer and autumn, indicating that SNA made a dominant contribution to PM2.5 in summer and autumn and that PM2.5 was mainly produced through secondary formation.

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Chemical Characterization of Two Seasonal PM2.5 Samples in Nanjing and Its Toxicological Properties in Three Human Cell Lines

Environments ◽

10.3390/environments6040042 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 42 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kai Zhang ◽

Dongyang Nie ◽

Mindong Chen ◽

Yun Wu ◽

Xinlei Ge ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heavy Metals ◽

Reactive Oxygen Species ◽

Reactive Oxygen ◽

Carcinoma Cells ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Chemical Compositions ◽

Oxygen Species ◽

Human Neuroblastoma ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions

PM2.5 pollution is of great concern in China due to its adverse health effects. Many diseases have been proven to be associated with PM2.5 components, but the effects of chemical characteristics of PM2.5 on toxicological properties, especially in different human organs, are poorly understood. In this study, two seasonal PM2.5 samples (summer and winter) were collected in Nanjing, and their chemical compositions (heavy metals, water-soluble ions, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC)) were analyzed. Human lung epithelial carcinoma cells (A549), human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cells (HepG2), and human neuroblastoma cells (Sh-Sy5y) were employed to evaluate the toxicological properties of the collected PM2.5. The results showed that the average mass concentrations of PM2.5 were lower in summer (51.3 ± 21.4 μg/m3) than those in winter (62.1 ± 21.5 μg/m3). However, the mass fractions of heavy metals, OC, and EC exhibited an opposite seasonal difference. Among all tested fractions, water-soluble ions were the major compositions of particles in both summer and winter, especially the secondary ions (SO42−, NO3− and NH4+). Besides, the ratio of OC/EC in PM2.5 was greater than two, indicating serious secondary pollution in this area. The NO3–/SO42− ratio (< 1) suggested that fixed sources made important contributions. The toxicological results showed that PM2.5 in the summer and winter significantly inhibited cell viability (p < 0.01) and induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production (p < 0.01). Moreover, the viability inhibition in A549, Sh-Sy5y, and HepG2 cells was more prominent in summer, especially at high PM2.5 (400 μg/mL) (p < 0.05), and the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in A549 and Sh-Sy5y cells was also more evident in summer. Such seasonal differences might be related to the variations of PM2.5 components.

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Measurement of PM2.5 and Water-Soluble Ions at Central Tokyo, Japan and Source Apportionment

The Global Environmental Engineers ◽

10.15377/2410-3624.2015.02.02.4 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 71-78

Author(s):

Yoshika Sekine ◽

◽

Nami Takahashi ◽

Yuri Ohkoshi ◽

Akihiro Takemasa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Source Apportionment ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions

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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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Insights into measurements of water-soluble ions in PM2.5 and their gaseous precursors in Beijing

Journal of Environmental Sciences ◽

10.1016/j.jes.2020.08.031 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 102 ◽

pp. 123-137

Author(s):

Jie Su ◽

Pusheng Zhao ◽

Jing Ding ◽

Xiang Du ◽

Youjun Dou

Keyword(s):

Water Soluble ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions

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Characterization of Ambient Particulate Matters in an Industry-Intensive Area in Central Taiwan

Atmosphere ◽

10.3390/atmos12070926 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 (7) ◽

pp. 926

Author(s):

Hsing-Wang Li ◽

Kang-Shin Chen ◽

Chia-Hsiang Lai ◽

Ting-Yu Chen ◽

Yi-Ching Lin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Water Soluble ◽

High Tech ◽

Particulate Matters ◽

Metallic Elements ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Central Taiwan

Atmospheric particulate matters (PMs) were measured in an industry-intensive region in central Taiwan in order to investigate the characteristics and possible sources of PMs. The samplings were simultaneously conducted using a 10- and 3-stage Micro Orifice Uniform Deposit Impactor (MOUDI) from 2017 to 2018. In this study, the characteristics of PMs in this region were evaluated by measuring the mass concentration of PMs and analyzing water-soluble ions and metallic elements, as well as dioxins. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the potential sources of PMs. The results showed that the mean concentration of coarse (>1.8 μm), fine (0.1–1.8 μm), and ultrafine (<0.1 μm) particles were 13.60, 14.38, and 3.44 μg/m3, respectively. In the industry-intensive region, the size distribution of ambient particles showed a bi-modal distribution with a high concentration of coarse particles in the spring and summer, while fine particles were dominant in the autumn and winter. The most abundant water-soluble ions of PMs were NO3−, Cl−, and SO42−, while the majority of metallic elements were Na, Fe, Ca, Al, and Mg in different particle sizes. The results of Pearson’s correlation analysis for metals indicated that the particles in the collected air samples were related to the iron and steelmaking industries, coal burning, vehicle exhausts, and high-tech industries. The dioxin concentration ranged from 0.0006 to 0.0017 pg I-TEQ/Nm3. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that the contribution to PMs was associated with sea salt, secondary pollutants, and industrial process.

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Effect of Different Pollution Parameters and Chemical Components of PM2.5 on Health of Residents of Xinxiang City, China

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18136821 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (13) ◽

pp. 6821

Author(s):

Shuang Wang ◽

Mandeep Kaur ◽

Tengfei Li ◽

Feng Pan

Keyword(s):

Particulate Matter ◽

Carcinogenic Risk ◽

Water Soluble ◽

Chemical Components ◽

Maximum Effect ◽

Exposure Concentration ◽

Soluble Ions ◽

Haze Pollution ◽

Water Soluble Ions ◽

Blood Routine

The present study was planned to explore the pollution characteristics, health risks, and influence of atmospheric fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and its components on blood routine parameters in a typical industrial city (Xinxiang City) in China. In this study, 102 effective samples 28 (April–May), 19 (July–August), 27 (September–October), 28 (December–January) of PM2.5 were collected during different seasons from 2017 to 2018. The water-soluble ions and metal elements in PM2.5 were analyzed via ion chromatography and inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. The blood routine physical examination parameters under different polluted weather conditions from January to December 2017 and 2018, the corresponding PM2.5 concentration, temperature, and relative humidity during the same period were collected from Second People’s Hospital of Xinxiang during 2017–2018. Risk assessment was carried out using the generalized additive time series model (GAM). It was used to analyze the influence of PM2.5 concentration and its components on blood routine indicators of the physical examination population. The “mgcv” package in R.3.5.3 statistical software was used for modeling and analysis and used to perform nonparametric smoothing on meteorological indicators such as temperature and humidity. When Akaike’s information criterion (AIC) value is the smallest, the goodness of fit of the model is the highest. Additionally, the US EPA exposure model was used to evaluate the health risks caused by different heavy metals in PM2.5 to the human body through the respiratory pathway, including carcinogenic risk and non-carcinogenic risk. The result showed that the air particulate matter and its chemical components in Xinxiang City were higher in winter as compared to other seasons with an overall trend of winter > spring > autumn > summer. The content of nitrate (NO3−) and sulfate (SO42−) ions in the atmosphere were higher in winter, which, together with ammonium, constitute the main components of water-soluble ions in PM2.5 in Xinxiang City. Source analysis reported that mobile pollution sources (coal combustion emissions, automobile exhaust emissions, and industrial emissions) in Xinxiang City during the winter season contributed more to atmospheric pollution as compared to fixed sources. The results of the risk assessment showed that the non-carcinogenic health risk of heavy metals in fine particulate matter is acceptable to the human body, while among the carcinogenic elements, the order of lifetime carcinogenic risk is arsenic (As) > chromium(Cr) > cadmium (Cd) > cobalt(Co) > nickel (Ni). During periods of haze pollution, the exposure concentration of PM2.5 has a certain lag effect on blood routine parameters. On the day when haze pollution occurs, when the daily average concentration of PM2.5 rises by 10 μg·m−3, hemoglobin (HGB) and platelet count (PLT) increase, respectively, by 9.923% (95% CI, 8.741–11.264) and 0.068% (95% CI, 0.067–0.069). GAM model analysis predicted the maximum effect of PM2.5 exposure concentration on red blood cell count (RBC) and PLT was reached when the hysteresis accumulates for 1d (Lag0). The maximum effect of exposure concentration ofPM2.5 on MONO is reached when the lag accumulation is 3d (Lag2). When the hysteresis accumulates for 6d (Lag5), the exposure concentration of PM2.5 has the greatest effect on HGB. The maximum cumulative effect of PM2.5 on neutrophil count (NEUT) and lymphocyte (LMY) was strongest when the lag was 2d (Lag1). During periods of moderate to severe pollution, the concentration of water-soluble ions and heavy metal elements in PM2.5 increases significantly and has a significant correlation with some blood routine indicators.

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