scholarly journals Measurement report: Evaluation of sources and mixing state of black carbon aerosol under the background of emission reduction in the North China Plain: implications for radiative effect

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiyuan Wang ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Jiamao Zhou ◽  
Jianhuai Ye ◽  
Wenting Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Solid Fuel ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Fossil Fuel ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Fuel Source

Abstract. Accurate understanding of sources and mixing state of black carbon (BC) aerosol is essential for assessing its impacts on air quality and climatic effect. Here, a winter campaign (December 2017–January 2018) was conducted in the North China Plain (NCP) to evaluate the sources, coating composition, and radiative effect of BC under the background of emission reduction since 2013. Results show that liquid fossil fuel source (i.e., traffic emission) and solid fuel source (i.e., biomass and coal burning) contributed 69 % and 31 % to the total BC mass, respectively, using a multiwavelength optical approach combined with the source-based aerosol absorption Ångström exponent values. The air quality model indicates that local emission was the dominant contributor to BC at the measurement site on average, however, emissions in the NCP exerted a critical role for high BC episode. Six classes of BC-containing particles were identified, including (1) BC coated by organic carbon and sulphate (52 % of total BC-containing particles), (2) BC coated by Na and K (24 %), (3) BC coated by K, sulphate, and nitrate (17 %), (4) BC associated with biomass burning (6 %), (5) Pure-BC (1 %), and (6) others (1 %). Different BC sources had distinct impacts on those BC-containing particles. A radiative transfer model estimated that the amount of BC detected can produce an atmospheric forcing of +18.0 W m−2 and a heating rate of 0.5 K day−1. Results presented herein highlight that further reduction of solid fuel combustion-related BC may be a more effective way to mitigate regional warming in the NCP, although larger BC contribution was from liquid fossil fuel source.

scholarly journals Measurement report: Source and mixing state of black carbon aerosol in the North China Plain: implications for radiative effect

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (23) ◽  
pp. 15427-15442
Author(s):  
Qiyuan Wang ◽  
Li Li ◽  
Jiamao Zhou ◽  
Jianhuai Ye ◽  
Wenting Dai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Black Carbon ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Radiative Transfer Model ◽  
Transfer Model ◽  
Radiative Effect ◽  
Mixing State ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain

Abstract. Establishment of the sources and mixing state of black carbon (BC) aerosol is essential for assessing its impact on air quality and climatic effects. A winter campaign (December 2017–January 2018) was performed in the North China Plain (NCP) to evaluate the sources, coating composition, and radiative effects of BC under the background of emission reduction. Results showed that the sources of liquid fossil fuels (i.e., traffic emissions) and solid fuels (i.e., biomass and coal burning) contributed 69 % and 31 % to the total equivalent BC (eBC) mass, respectively. These values were arrived at by using a combination of multi-wavelength optical approach with the source-based aerosol absorption Ångström exponent values. The air quality model indicated that local emissions were the dominant contributors to BC at the measurement site. However, regional emissions from NCP were a critical factor for high BC pollution. A single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer identified six classes of elemental carbon (EC)-containing particles. They included EC coated by organic carbon and sulfate (52 % of total EC-containing particles); EC coated by Na and K (24 %); EC coated by K, sulfate, and nitrate (17 %); EC associated with biomass burning (6 %); pure-EC (1 %); and others (1 %). Different BC sources exhibited distinct impacts on the EC-containing particles. A radiative transfer model showed that the amount of detected eBC can produce an atmospheric direct radiative effect of +18.0 W m−2 and a heating rate of 0.5 K d−1. This study shows that reductions of solid fuel combustion-related BC may be an effective way of mitigating regional warming in the NCP.

scholarly journals A new approach to estimate pollutant emissions based on trajectory modelling and its application in the North China Plain

2011 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 31137-31158 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Y. Xu ◽  
C. S. Zhao ◽  
P. F. Liu ◽  
L. Ran ◽  
N. Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
New Approach ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Source Contributions ◽  
Co Emission

Abstract. Emission information is crucial for air quality modelling and air quality management. In this study, a new approach based on the understanding of the relationship between emissions and measured pollutant concentrations has been proposed to estimate pollutant emissions and source contributions. The retrieval can be made with single point in-situ measurements combined with backward trajectory analyses. The method takes into consideration the effect of meteorology on pollutant transport when evaluating contributions and is independent of energy statistics, therefore can provide frequent updates on emission information. The spatial coverage can be further improved by using measurements from several sites and combining the derived emission fields. The method was applied to yield the source distributions of black carbon (BC) and CO in the North China Plain (NCP) using in-situ measurements from the HaChi (Haze in China) Campaign and to evaluate contributions from specific areas to local concentrations at the measurement site. Results show that this method can yield a reasonable emission field for the NCP and can directly quantify areal source contributions. Major BC and CO emission source regions are Beijing, the western part of Tianjin and Langfang, Hebei, with Tangshan being an additional important CO emission source area. The source contribution assessment suggests that, aside from local emissions in Wuqing, Tianjin and Hebei S, SW (d < 100 km) are the greatest contributors to measured local concentrations, while emissions from Beijing contribute little during summertime.

scholarly journals Insights into particulate matter pollution in the North China Plain during wintertime: Local contribution or regional transport?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiarui Wu ◽  
Naifang Bei ◽  
Yuan Wang ◽  
Xia Li ◽  
Suixin Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Source Apportionment ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Regional Transport ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Haze Event ◽  
Non Local ◽  
Local Emissions

Abstract. Accurate identification and quantitative source apportionment of fine particulate matters (PM2.5) provide an important prerequisite for design and implementation of emission control strategies to reduce PM pollution. Therefore, a source-oriented version of the WRF-Chem model is developed in the study to make source apportionment of PM2.5 in the North China Plain (NCP). A persistent and heavy haze event occurred in the NCP from 05 December 2015 to 04 January 2016 is simulated using the model as a case study to quantify PM2.5 contributions of local emissions and regional transport. Results show that local and non-local emissions contribute 36.3 % and 63.7 % of the PM2.5 mass in Beijing during the haze event on average. When Beijing's air quality is excellent or good in terms of hourly PM2.5 concentrations, local emissions dominate the PM2.5 mass with contributions exceeding 50 %. However, when the air quality is severely polluted, the PM2.5 contribution of non-local emissions is around 75 %. The non-local emissions also dominate the Tianjin's air quality, with average PM2.5 contributions exceeding 70 %. The PM2.5 level in Hebei and Shandong is generally controlled by local emissions, but in Henan, local and non-local emissions play an almost equivalent role in the PM2.5 level, except when the air quality is severely polluted, with non-local PM2.5 contributions of over 60 %. Additionally, the primary aerosol species are generally dominated by local emissions with the average contribution exceeding 50%. However, the source apportionment of secondary aerosols shows more evident regional characteristics. Therefore, except cooperation with neighboring provinces to carry out strict emission mitigation measures, reducing primary aerosols constitutes the priority to alleviate PM pollution in the NCP, especially in Beijing and Tianjin.

scholarly journals Impact of the Green Light Program on haze in the North China Plain, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (17) ◽  
pp. 11185-11197 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Long ◽  
Xuexi Tie ◽  
Jiamao Zhou ◽  
Wenting Dai ◽  
Xueke Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Green Light ◽  
Coal Consumption ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. As the world's largest developing country, China has undergone ever-increasing demand for electricity during the past few decades. In 1996, China launched the Green Light Program (GLP), which became a national energy conservation activity for saving lighting electricity as well as an effective reduction of the coal consumption for power generation. Despite the great success of the GLP, its effects on haze have not been investigated and well understood. This study focused on assessing the potential coal saving induced by the improvement of luminous efficacy, the core of the GLP, and on estimating the consequent effects on the haze in the North China Plain (NCP), where a large number of power plants are located and are often engulfed by severe haze. The estimated potential coal saving induced by the GLP can reach a massive value of 120–323 million tons, accounting for 6.7 %–18.0 % of the total coal consumption for thermal power generation in China. There was a massive potential emission reduction of air pollutants from thermal power generation in the NCP, which was estimated to be 20.0–53.8 Gg for NOx and 6.9–18.7 Gg for SO2 in December 2015. The potential emission reduction induced by the GLP plays important roles in the haze formation, because the NOx and SO2 are important precursors for the formation of particles. To assess the impact of the GLP on haze, sensitivity studies were conducted by applying a regional chemical–dynamical model (WRF-CHEM). The model results suggest that in the case of lower-limit emission reduction, the PM2.5 concentration decreased by 2–5 µg m−3 in large areas of the NCP. In the case of upper-limit emission reduction, there was much more remarkable decrease in PM2.5 concentration (4–10 µg m−3). This study is a good example to illustrate that scientific innovation can induce important benefits for environment issues such as haze.

How aerosol transport from the North China plain contributes to air quality in northeast China

2020 ◽  
Vol 738 ◽  
pp. 139555 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hujia Zhao ◽  
Huizheng Che ◽  
Lei Zhang ◽  
Ke Gui ◽  
Yanjun Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Aerosol Transport ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain

scholarly journals Investigations of temporal and spatial distribution of precursors SO<sub>2</sub> and NO<sub>2</sub> vertical columns in the North China Plain using mobile DOAS

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 1535-1554 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengcheng Wu ◽  
Pinhua Xie ◽  
Ang Li ◽  
Fusheng Mou ◽  
Hao Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Distribution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Emission Sources ◽  
Temporal And Spatial Distribution ◽  
Air Mass ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Temporal And Spatial

Abstract. Recently, Chinese cities have suffered severe events of haze air pollution, particularly in the North China Plain (NCP). Investigating the temporal and spatial distribution of pollutants, emissions, and pollution transport is necessary to better understand the effect of various sources on air quality. We report on mobile differential optical absorption spectroscopy (mobile DOAS) observations of precursors SO2 and NO2 vertical columns in the NCP in the summer of 2013 (from 11 June to 7 July) in this study. The different temporal and spatial distributions of SO2 and NO2 vertical column density (VCD) over this area are characterized under various wind fields. The results show that transport from the southern NCP strongly affects air quality in Beijing, and the transport route, particularly SO2 transport on the route of Shijiazhuang–Baoding–Beijing, is identified. In addition, the major contributors to SO2 along the route of Shijiazhuang–Baoding–Beijing are elevated sources compared to low area sources for the route of Dezhou–Cangzhou–Tianjin–Beijing; this is found using the interrelated analysis between in situ and mobile DOAS observations during the measurement periods. Furthermore, the discussions on hot spots near the city of JiNan show that average observed width of polluted air mass is 11.83 and 17.23 km associated with air mass diffusion, which is approximately 60 km away from emission sources based on geometrical estimation. Finally, a reasonable agreement exists between the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) and mobile DOAS observations, with a correlation coefficient (R2) of 0.65 for NO2 VCDs. Both datasets also have a similar spatial pattern. The fitted slope of 0.55 is significantly less than unity, which can reflect the contamination of local sources, and OMI observations are needed to improve the sensitivities to the near-surface emission sources through improvements of the retrieval algorithm or the resolution of satellites.

scholarly journals Carbon Footprint Analyses and Potential Carbon Emission Reduction in China’s Major Peach Orchards

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 2908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chaoyi Guo ◽  
Xiaozhong Wang ◽  
Yujia Li ◽  
Xinhua He ◽  
Wushuai Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emission Reduction ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Irrigation Management ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
High Yield ◽  
Carbon Footprints ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Fruit Orchards

An excess of material input in fruit orchards has brought serious environmental problems, particularly in China. However, studies on the estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in peach orchards are limited. In this study, based on questionnaire surveys in major peach-producing regions, including the North China Plain (n = 214), as well as northwest (n = 22) and southwest (n = 33) China, the carbon footprints (CFs) of these orchards were calculated by the life cycle assessment. The potential emission reduction in each region was estimated by combining the GHG emissions and CFs with plantation areas and fruit yields. The results showed that the average GHG emissions in the North China Plain, northwest, and southwest regions were 15,668 kg CO2-eq ha−1, 10,386 kg CO2-eq ha−1, and 5580 kg CO2-eq ha−1, with corresponding CFs of 0.48 kg CO2-eq ha−1, 0.27 kg CO2-eq ha−1, and 0.20 kg CO2-eq kg−1, respectively. The main contribution source of GHG emissions in these three regions was fertilizer (77–95%), followed by electricity, pesticides, and diesel. By adopting advanced farming practices with high yield and a high partial factor productivity of fertilizer, the GHG emissions could be reduced by ~13–35%, with the highest potential reduction in the North China Plain. In conclusion, the GHG emissions and their CFs were impressively high in China’s major peach-producing regions, but these GHG emissions could be substantially decreased by optimizing nutrients and irrigation management, including the rational selection of fertilizer rates and types with water-saving irrigation systems or practices (e.g., mulching) for increasing fertilizer and water use efficiency, and maintaining a sustainable peach production in China or similar countries.

scholarly journals Impact of the Green Light Program on haze pollution in the North China Plain, China

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xin Long ◽  
Xuexi Tie ◽  
Jiamao Zhou ◽  
Wenting Dai ◽  
Xueke Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
Emission Reduction ◽  
North China Plain ◽  
North China ◽  
Thermal Power ◽  
Coal Consumption ◽  
The North ◽  
The North China Plain ◽  
Haze Pollution ◽  
Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. As the world's largest developing country, China undergoes the ever-increasing demand for electricity during the past few decades. In 1996, China launched the Green Lights Program (GLP), which becomes a national energy conservation activity for saving lighting electricity, as well as an effective reduction of the coal consumption for power generation. Despite of the great success of the GLP, its effects on haze pollution have not been investigated and well understood. This study focused to assess the potential coal-saving induced by the GLP and to estimate the consequent improvements of the haze pollutions in the North China Plain (NCP), because severe haze pollutions often occur in the NCP and a large amount of power plants locate in this region. The estimated potential coal-saving induced by the GLP can reach a massive value of 120–323 million tons, accounting for 6.7–18.0 % of the total coal consumption for thermal power generation in China. In December 2015, there was a massive potential emission reduction of air pollutants from thermal power generation in the NCP, which was estimated to be 20.0–53.8 Gg for NOx and 6.9–18.7 Gg for SO2. The potential emission reductions induced by the GLP played important roles in the haze formation, because the NOx and SO2 are important precursors for the formation of particles. To assess the impact of the GLP on haze pollution, sensitive studies were conducted by applying a regional chemical/dynamical model (WRF-CHEM). The model results suggest that in the lower limit case of emission reduction, the PM2.5 concentration decreases by 2–5 µg m−3 in large areas of the NCP. In the upper limit case of emission reduction, there was much more remarkable decrease in PM2.5 concentration (4–10 µg m−3). This study is a good example to illustrate that scientific innovation can induce important benefits on environment issues, such as haze pollution.

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