Abstract. Water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) is a large fraction of
organic aerosols (OA) globally and has significant impacts on climate and
human health. The sources of WSOC remain very uncertain in polluted regions.
Here we present a quantitative source apportionment of WSOC, isolated from
aerosols in China using radiocarbon (14C) and offline high-resolution
time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer measurements. Fossil emissions on
average accounted for 32–47 % of WSOC. Secondary organic carbon (SOC)
dominated both the non-fossil and fossil derived WSOC, highlighting the
importance of secondary formation to WSOC in severe winter haze episodes.
Contributions from fossil emissions to SOC were 61 ± 4 and
50 ± 9 % in Shanghai and Beijing, respectively, significantly
larger than those in Guangzhou (36 ± 9 %) and Xi'an
(26 ± 9 %). The most important primary sources were biomass burning
emissions, contributing 17–26 % of WSOC. The remaining primary sources
such as coal combustion, cooking and traffic were generally very small but
not negligible contributors, as coal combustion contribution could exceed
10 %. Taken together with earlier 14C source apportionment studies
in urban, rural, semi-urban and background regions in Asia, Europe and the USA,
we demonstrated a dominant contribution of non-fossil emissions (i.e.,
75 ± 11 %) to WSOC aerosols in the Northern Hemisphere; however, the
fossil fraction is substantially larger in aerosols from East Asia and the
eastern Asian pollution outflow, especially during winter, due to increasing coal
combustion. Inclusion of our findings can improve a modelling of effects of
WSOC aerosols on climate, atmospheric chemistry and public health.