scholarly journals How to improve the air quality over megacities in China: pollution characterization and source analysis in Shanghai before, during, and after the 2010 World Expo

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (12) ◽  
pp. 5927-5942 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Huang ◽  
G. Zhuang ◽  
Y. Lin ◽  
Q. Wang ◽  
J. S. Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
Vehicle Emission ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
The Future ◽  
World Expo ◽  
Emission Control Measures

Abstract. Three field campaigns were conducted before, during, and after the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, aiming to understand the response of secondary aerosol components to both control measures and human activities. In spring, PM2.5 (particulate matter) averaged 34.5 ± 20.9 μg m−3 with a severe pollution episode influenced by a floating dust originating from northwestern China on 26–28 April, right before the opening of the expo. With the approaching expo a significant increasing trend of SNA (SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+) concentrations was observed from 22 April to 2 May, attributed to the enhanced human activities. Nitrate had the most significant daily increasing rate of 1.1 μg m−3d−1 due to enhanced vehicle emission. In summer, two intensive pollution episodes were found to be a mixed pollution of SNA with biomass burning due to loose control of post-harvest straw burning. In the autumn phase of the expo, before the closing of the expo (20–30 October), the air quality over Shanghai was much better than ever before. However, the air quality rapidly plummeted as soon as the expo was announced closed. SNA increased 3–6 fold to be 42.1 and 68.2 μg m−3 on 31 October and 1 November, respectively, as compared to 20–30 October. Of which, nitrate increased most ~5–8 fold, indicating the serious impact from enhanced vehicle emission. Compared to the spring and summer of 2009, NO3− increased 12–15% while SO42− showed reductions of 15–30%. Continuous desulfurization of SO2 emission from power plants in recent years was responsible for the lowered SO42−, while increased traffic emission from the tremendous number of expo visitors was the major contributor to the increased NO3−. Compared to the autumn of 2009, all the ion components increased in 2010, owing to the lifting of emission control measures after the expo. SO42− was found least increased while NO3− and Ca2+ had tremendous increases of 150 and 320%, respectively. The anthropogenic Ca as a tracer from construction dust increased from 2.88 ± 1.85 μg m−3 during the expo to 6.98 ± 3.19 μg m−3 during the post-expo period, attributed to the resumption of construction works after the expo. The lack of successive control measures with the loose regulations after the expo were responsible for this jump of the bad quality. The ratio of NO3−/SO42− in PM2.5 over Shanghai had a significant increasing trend from ~0.3 in the early 2000s to more than 1.0 in 2010, indicating the increasing role of mobile sources. Reducing NOx emission will be China's priority in the future in order to improve the air quality over the megacities. In addition, lowering mineral aerosol components (e.g., Ca2+) was also demonstrated to be beneficial for alleviating air pollution in China. This study demonstrated that stringent emission control measures aiming at mega-events in China could achieve positive benefits on improving the air quality in a short term. However, persistent efforts of curbing the anthropogenic emission remain a long way to go in the future.

scholarly journals How to improve the air quality over mega-cities in China? – Pollution characterization and source analysis in Shanghai before, during, and after the 2010 World Expo

2013 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 3379-3418 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Huang ◽  
G. Zhuang ◽  
Y. Lin ◽  
Q. Wang ◽  
J. S. Fu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Activities ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Source Analysis ◽  
Vehicle Emission ◽  
Traffic Emission ◽  
Increasing Trend ◽  
World Expo ◽  
Mega Cities

Abstract. Three field campaigns were conducted before, during, and after the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, aiming to understand the response of secondary aerosol components to both control measures and human activities. In spring, PM2.5 averaged 34.5 ± 20.9 μg m−3 with a severe pollution episode influenced by a floating dust originating from northwestern China on 26–28 April, right before the opening of the Expo. With the approaching of Expo, significant increasing trend of SNA (SO42−, NO3−, and NH4+) concentrations was observed from 20 April 20 to 2 May, attributing to the enhanced human activities. Nitrate had the most significant daily increasing rate of 1.1 μg m−3 d−1 due to enhanced vehicle emission. In summer, two intensive pollution episodes were found to be a mixed pollution of SNA with biomass burning due to loose control of post-harvest straw burning. Compared to the spring and summer of 2009, NO3− increased 12–15% while SO42− showed reductions of 15–30%. Continuous desulphurization of SO2 emission from power plants in recent years was responsible for the lowered SO42−, while enhanced traffic emission due to tremendous Expo visitors was the major contributor to the increased NO3−. In the autumn phase of the Expo before the closing of the Expo (20–30 October), the air quality over Shanghai was much better than ever before. However, the air quality rapidly plummeted as soon as the Expo was announced closed. SNA increased 3–6 folds to be 42.1 and 68.2 μg m−3 on 31 October and 1 November, respectively, as compared to 20–30 October. Of which, nitrate increased most with ~ 5–8 folds, indicating the serious impact from enhanced vehicle emission. The anthropogenic Ca as a tracer from construction dust increased from 2.88 ± 1.85 μg m−3 during the Expo to be 6.98 ± 3.19 μg m−3 during the post-Expo period, attributing to the resumption of construction works after the Expo. Compared to the autumn of 2009, all the ion components increased in 2010, owing to the lifting of emission control measures after the Expo. SO42− was found least increased while NO3− and Ca2+ had tremendous increases of 150% and 320%, respectively. No successive control measures with the loose regulations after the Expo were responsible for this jump of the bad quality. The ratio of NO3−/SO42− in PM2.5 over Shanghai had a significant increasing trend from ~0.3 in the early 2000s to more than 1.0 in 2010, indicating the increasing role of mobile sources. Reducing NOx emission will be China's priority in the future to improve the air quality over the mega-cities. In addition, lowering mineral aerosol components (e.g. Ca2+) was also demonstrated to be beneficial for alleviating air pollution in China.

scholarly journals Air quality improvement in a megacity: implications from 2015 Beijing Parade Blue pollution control actions

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Xu ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Yangyang Zhang ◽  
Xuejun Liu ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Emission Control Measures ◽  
Control Regions

Abstract. The implementation of strict emission control measures in Beijing and surrounding regions during the 2015 China Victory Day Parade provided a valuable opportunity to investigate related air quality improvements in a megacity. We measured NH3, NO2 and PM2.5 at multiple sites in and outside Beijing and summarized concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO in 291 cities across China from a national urban air quality monitoring network between August and September 2015. Consistently significant reductions of 12–35 % for NH3 and 33–59 % for NO2 in different areas of Beijing during the emission control period (referred to as the Parade Blue period) were observed compared with measurements in the pre- and post-Parade Blue periods without emission controls. Average NH3 and NO2 concentrations at sites near traffic were strongly correlated and showed positive and significant responses to traffic reduction measures, suggesting that traffic is an important source of both NH3 and NOx in urban Beijing. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 and secondary inorganic aerosol (sulfate, ammonium and nitrate) at the urban and rural sites both decreased during the Parade Blue period. During (after) the emission control period, concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO from the national city-monitoring network showed the largest decrease (increase) of 34–72 % (50–214 %) in Beijing, a smaller decrease (a moderate increase) of 1–32 % (16–44 %) in emission control regions outside Beijing and an increase (decrease) of 6–16 % (−2–7 %) in non-emission-control regions of China. Integrated analysis of modelling and monitoring results demonstrated that emission control measures made a major contribution to air quality improvement in Beijing compared with a minor contribution from favourable meteorological conditions during the Parade Blue period. These results show that controls of secondary aerosol precursors (NH3, SO2 and NOx) locally and regionally are key to curbing air pollution in Beijing and probably in other mega cities worldwide.

scholarly journals Air Quality Improvement in a Megacity: Implications from 2015 Beijing Parade Blue Pollution-Control Actions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Xu ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Yangyang Zhang ◽  
Xuejun Liu ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Beijing City ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Emission Control Measures

Abstract. The implementation of strict emission control measures in Beijing and surrounding regions during the 2015 China Victory Day Parade provided a valuable opportunity to investigate related air quality improvements in a megacity. We measured NH3, NO2 and PM2.5 at multiple sites in and outside Beijing and summarized concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO in 291 cities across China from a national urban air quality monitoring network between August and September 2015. Consistently significant reductions of 12–35 % for NH3 and 33–59 % for NO2 in different areas of Beijing city during the emission control period (referred to as the Parade Blue period) were observed compared with measurements in the pre- and post-Parade Blue periods without emission controls. Average NH3 and NO2 concentrations at sites near traffic were strongly correlated and showed positive and significant responses to traffic reduction measures, suggesting that traffic is an important source of both NH3 and NOx in urban Beijing. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 and secondary inorganic aerosol (sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate) at the urban and rural sites both decreased during the Parade Blue period. Concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO from the national city-monitoring network showed the largest decrease (34–72 %) in Beijing, a smaller decrease (1–32 %) in North China (excluding Beijing), and an increase (6–16 %) in other regions of China during the emission control period. Integrated analysis of modeling and monitoring results demonstrated that emission control measures made a major contribution to air quality improvement in Beijing compared with a minor contribution from favorable meteorological conditions during the Parade Blue period. These results show that controls of secondary aerosol precursors (NH3, SO2 and NOx) locally and regionally are key to curbing air pollution in Beijing and probably in other mega cities worldwide.

scholarly journals PM2.5 Pollution in Xingtai, China: Chemical Characteristics, Source Apportionment, and Emission Control Measures

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Hu ◽  
Han Wang ◽  
Jingqiao Zhang ◽  
Meng Zhang ◽  
Hefeng Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Ambient Air Quality ◽  
Surrounding Areas ◽  
Emission Control Measures

Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and its surrounding areas are one of the most polluted regions in China. Xingtai, as a heavy industrial city of BTH and its surrounding areas, has been experiencing a severe PM2.5 pollution in recent years, characterized by extremely high concentrations of PM2.5. In 2014, PM2.5 mass concentrations monitored by online instruments in urban areas of Xingtai were 116, 77, 128, and 200 µg m−3 in spring, summer, autumn and winter, respectively, with annually average concentrations of 130 µg m−3 exhibiting 3.7 times higher than National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) value for PM2.5 (35 µg m−3). To identify PM2.5 emission sources, ambient PM2.5 samples were collected during both cold and warm periods in 2014 in urban areas of Xingtai. Organic carbon (OC), sulfate, nitrate, ammonium and elemental carbon (EC) were the dominant components of PM2.5, accounting for 13%, 11%, 12%, 11% and 8% in the cold period, respectively, and 11%, 12%, 9%, 6%, and 5% in the warm period, respectively. Source apportionment results indicated that coal combustion (24.4%) was the largest PM2.5 emission source, followed by secondary sulfate (22.2%), secondary nitrate (18.4%), vehicle exhaust dust (12.4%), fugitive dust (9.7%), construction dust (5.5%), soil dust (3.4%) and metallurgy dust (1.6%). Based on PM2.5 source apportionment results, some emission control measures, such as replacing bulk coal with clean energy sources, controlling coal consumption by coal-fired boiler upgrades, halting operations of unlicensed small polluters, and controlling fugitive and VOCs emission, were proposed to be implemented in order to improve Xingtai’s ambient air quality.

scholarly journals Dominant role of emission reduction in PM<sub>2.5</sub> air quality improvement in Beijing during 2013–2017: a model-based decomposition analysis

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 6125-6146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Cheng ◽  
Jingping Su ◽  
Tong Cui ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Xin Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Emission Inventory ◽  
Industrial Structure ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Emission Reductions ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Emission Control Measures

Abstract. In 2013, China's government published the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) with a specific target for Beijing, which aims to reduce annual mean PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing to 60 µg m−3 in 2017. During 2013–2017, the air quality in Beijing was significantly improved following the implementation of various emission control measures locally and regionally, with the annual mean PM2.5 concentration decreasing from 89.5 µg m−3 in 2013 to 58 µg m−3 in 2017. As meteorological conditions were more favourable to the reduction of air pollution in 2017 than in 2013 and 2016, the real effectiveness of emission control measures on the improvement of air quality in Beijing has frequently been questioned. In this work, by combining a detailed bottom-up emission inventory over Beijing, the MEIC regional emission inventory and the WRF-CMAQ (Weather Research and Forecasting Model and Community Multiscale Air Quality) model, we attribute the improvement in Beijing's PM2.5 air quality in 2017 (compared to 2013 and 2016) to the following factors: changes in meteorological conditions, reduction of emissions from surrounding regions, and seven specific categories of local emission control measures in Beijing. We collect and summarize data related to 32 detailed control measures implemented during 2013–2017, quantify the emission reductions associated with each measure using the bottom-up local emission inventory in 2013, aggregate the measures into seven categories, and conduct a series of CMAQ simulations to quantify the contribution of different factors to the PM2.5 changes. We found that, although changes in meteorological conditions partly explain the improved PM2.5 air quality in Beijing in 2017 compared to 2013 (3.8 µg m−3, 12.1 % of total), the rapid decrease in PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing during 2013–2017 was dominated by local (20.6 µg m−3, 65.4 %) and regional (7.1 µg m−3, 22.5 %) emission reductions. The seven categories of emission control measures, i.e. coal-fired boiler control, clean fuels in the residential sector, optimize industrial structure, fugitive dust control, vehicle emission control, improved end-of-pipe control, and integrated treatment of VOCs, reduced the PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing by 5.9, 5.3, 3.2, 2.3, 1.9, 1.8, and 0.2 µg m−3, respectively, during 2013–2017. We also found that changes in meteorological conditions could explain roughly 30 % of total reduction in PM2.5 concentration during 2016–2017 with more prominent contribution in winter months (November and December). If the meteorological conditions in 2017 had remained the same as those in 2016, the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations would have increased from 58 to 63 µg m−3, exceeding the target established in the APPCAP. Despite the remarkable impacts from meteorological condition changes, local and regional emission reductions still played major roles in the PM2.5 decrease in Beijing during 2016–2017, and clean fuels in the residential sector, coal-fired boiler control, and optimize industrial structure were the three most effective local measures (contributing reductions of 2.1, 1.9, and 1.5 µg m−3, respectively). Our study confirms the effectiveness of clean air actions in Beijing and its surrounding regions and reveals that a new generation of control measures and strengthened regional joint emission control measures should be implemented for continued air quality improvement in Beijing because the major emitting sources have changed since the implementation of the clean air actions.

scholarly journals Dominant role of emission reduction in PM<sub>2.5</sub> air quality improvement in Beijing during 2013–2017: a model-based decomposition analysis

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Cheng ◽  
Jingping Su ◽  
Tong Cui ◽  
Xiang Li ◽  
Xin Dong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Emission Inventory ◽  
Industrial Structure ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Meteorological Conditions ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Emission Reductions ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Clean Air ◽  
Emission Control Measures

Abstract. In 2013, China's government published the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan (APPCAP) with a specific target for Beijing, which aims to reduce annual mean PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing to 60  m−3 in 2017. During 2013–2017, the air quality in Beijing was significantly improved following the implementation of various emission control measures locally and regionally, with the annual mean PM2.5 concentration decreasing from 89.5  m−3 in 2013 to 58  m−3 in 2017. As meteorological conditions were more favourable to the reduction of air pollution in 2017 than in 2013 and 2016, the real effectiveness of emission control measures on the improvement of air quality in Beijing has frequently been questioned. In this work, by combining a detailed bottom-up emission inventory over Beijing, the MEIC regional emission inventory, and the WRF-CMAQ model, we attribute the improvement in Beijing's PM2.5 air quality in 2017 (compared to 2013 and 2016) to the following factors: changes in meteorological conditions, reduction of emissions from surrounding regions, and seven specific categories of local emission control measures in Beijing. We collect and summarize data related to 32 detailed control measures implemented during 2013–2017, quantify the emission reductions associated with each measure using the bottom-up local emission inventory in 2013, aggregate the measures into seven categories, and conduct a series of CMAQ simulations to quantify the contribution of different factors to the PM2.5 changes. We found that, although changes in meteorological conditions partly explain the improved PM2.5 air quality in Beijing in 2017 compared to 2013 (3.8  m−3, 12.1 % of total), the rapid decrease in PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing during 2013–2017 was dominated by local (20.6  m−3, 65.4 %) and regional (7.1  m−3, 22.5 %) emission reductions. The seven categories of emission control measures, i.e., Coal-fired boiler control, Clean fuels in the residential sector, Optimized industrial structure, Fugitive dust control, Vehicle emission control, Improved end-of-pipe control, and Integrated treatment of VOCs, reduced the PM2.5 concentrations in Beijing by 5.9, 5.3, 3.2, 2.3, 1.9, 1.8, and 0.2  m−3, respectively, during 2013–2017. We also found that if the meteorological conditions in 2017 had remained the same as those in 2016, the annual mean PM2.5 concentrations would have increased from 58  m−3 to 63  m−3, exceeding the target established in the APPCAP. Despite the remarkable impacts from meteorological condition changes, local and regional emission reductions still played dominant roles in the PM2.5 decrease in Beijing during 2016–2017, and Clean fuels in the residential sector, Coal-fired boiler control, and Optimized industrial structure were the three most effective local measures (contributing reductions of 2.1, 1.9 and 1.5  m−3, respectively). Our study confirms the effectiveness of clean air actions in Beijing and its surrounding regions and reveals that a new generation of control measures and strengthened regional joint emission control measures should be implemented for continued air quality improvement in Beijing because the major emitting sources have changed since the implementation of the clean air actions.

scholarly journals Health benefits of on-road transportation pollution control programs in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (41) ◽  
pp. 25370-25377
Author(s):  
Haikun Wang ◽  
Xiaojing He ◽  
Xinyu Liang ◽  
Ernani F. Choma ◽  
Yifan Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Ambient Air Pollution ◽  
Vehicle Emission ◽  
Road Transportation

China started to implement comprehensive measures to mitigate traffic pollution at the end of 1990s, but the comprehensive effects, especially on ambient air quality and public health, have not yet been systematically evaluated. In this study, we analyze the effects of vehicle emission control measures on ambient air pollution and associated deaths attributable to long-term exposures of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and O3based on an integrated research framework that combines scenario analysis, air quality modeling, and population health risk assessment. We find that the total impact of these control measures was substantial. Vehicular emissions during 1998–2015 would have been 2–3 times as large as they actually were, had those measures not been implemented. The national population-weighted annual average concentrations of PM2.5and O3in 2015 would have been higher by 11.7 μg/m3and 8.3 parts per billion, respectively, and the number of deaths attributable to 2015 air pollution would have been higher by 510 thousand (95% confidence interval: 360 thousand to 730 thousand) without these controls. Our analysis shows a concentration of mortality impacts in densely populated urban areas, motivating local policymakers to design stringent vehicle emission control policies. The results imply that vehicle emission control will require policy designs that are more multifaceted than traditional controls, primarily represented by the strict emission standards, with careful consideration of the challenges in coordinated mitigation of both PM2.5and O3in different regions, to sustain improvement in air quality and public health given continuing swift growth in China’s vehicle population.

scholarly journals Impact of Short-Term Emission Control Measures on Air Quality in Nanjing During the Jiangsu Development Summit

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haoran Zhang ◽  
Keqin Tang ◽  
Weihang Feng ◽  
Xintian Yan ◽  
Hong Liao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Sulfur Oxidation ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Production Regime ◽  
Oxidation Ratio ◽  
Emission Control Measures

This study analyzed the effectiveness of temporary emission control measures on air quality of Nanjing, China during the Jiangsu Development Summit (JDS). We employed a regional chemistry model WRF-Chem to simulate air pollutants in Nanjing and compared the results to surface observations and satellite retrievals. During the JDS, air pollutant emissions from industry and transportation sectors largely decreased by 50–67% due to the short-term emission control measures such as reducing coal combustions, shutting down factories, and partially limiting traffic. Benefiting from the emission control, the simulated concentrations of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, CO and VOCs in Nanjing decreased by 17%, 20%, 20%, 19%, and 15% respectively, consistent with the surface and satellite observations. However, both the observed and simulated O3 increased by 3–48% during the JDS, which was mainly due to the remarkable NOx emission reduction (26%) in the downtown of Nanjing where the O3 production regime was mainly VOC-controlled. In addition, the atmospheric oxidation capacity and further the sulfur oxidation ratio, were facilitated by the elevated O3, which led to variable mitigation efficiencies of different secondary PM2.5 compositions. Our study offers an opportunity for understanding the coordinated control of PM2.5 and O3 in typical city clusters, and can provide implications for future mitigation actions.

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