Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period
<p>We explore the impacts of short-term emission controls on haze events in Beijing in October–November 2014 using high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulations. The model reproduces surface temperature and relative humidity profiles over the peri...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2019-07-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/8651/2019/acp-19-8651-2019.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818612781013794816 |
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| author | T. U. Ansari O. Wild J. Li T. Yang W. Xu W. Xu Y. Sun Y. Sun Y. Sun Z. Wang |
| author_facet | T. U. Ansari O. Wild J. Li T. Yang W. Xu W. Xu Y. Sun Y. Sun Y. Sun Z. Wang |
| author_sort | T. U. Ansari |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>We explore the impacts of short-term emission controls on haze events in Beijing in October–November 2014 using high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulations. The model reproduces surface temperature and relative humidity profiles over the period well and captures the observed variations in key atmospheric pollutants. We highlight the sensitivity of simulated pollutant levels to meteorological variables and model resolution and in particular to treatment of turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer. We note that simulating particle composition in the region remains a challenge, and we overpredict <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>4</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub>3</sub></span> at the expense of <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>4</sub></span>. We find that the emission controls implemented for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period made a relatively small contribution to improved air quality (20 %–26 %), highlighting the important role played by favourable meteorological conditions over this period. We demonstrate that the same controls applied under less favourable meteorological conditions would have been insufficient in reducing pollutant levels to meet the required standards. Continued application of these controls over the 6-week period considered would only have reduced the number of haze days when daily mean fine particulate matter exceeds 75 <span class="inline-formula">µg m<sup>−3</sup></span> from 15 to 13 d (days). Our study highlights the limitations of current emission controls and the need for more stringent measures over a wider region during meteorologically stagnant weather.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:51:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1b4d5a17dd834187ae00a0971601af35 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T15:51:40Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-1b4d5a17dd834187ae00a0971601af352022-12-21T22:25:41ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242019-07-01198651866810.5194/acp-19-8651-2019Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit periodT. U. Ansari0O. Wild1J. Li2T. Yang3W. Xu4W. Xu5Y. Sun6Y. Sun7Y. Sun8Z. Wang9Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UKLancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UKState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCollege of Earth Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, ChinaCenter for Excellence in Regional Atmospheric Environment, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China<p>We explore the impacts of short-term emission controls on haze events in Beijing in October–November 2014 using high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting model with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) simulations. The model reproduces surface temperature and relative humidity profiles over the period well and captures the observed variations in key atmospheric pollutants. We highlight the sensitivity of simulated pollutant levels to meteorological variables and model resolution and in particular to treatment of turbulent mixing in the planetary boundary layer. We note that simulating particle composition in the region remains a challenge, and we overpredict <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>4</sub></span> and <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub>3</sub></span> at the expense of <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>4</sub></span>. We find that the emission controls implemented for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period made a relatively small contribution to improved air quality (20 %–26 %), highlighting the important role played by favourable meteorological conditions over this period. We demonstrate that the same controls applied under less favourable meteorological conditions would have been insufficient in reducing pollutant levels to meet the required standards. Continued application of these controls over the 6-week period considered would only have reduced the number of haze days when daily mean fine particulate matter exceeds 75 <span class="inline-formula">µg m<sup>−3</sup></span> from 15 to 13 d (days). Our study highlights the limitations of current emission controls and the need for more stringent measures over a wider region during meteorologically stagnant weather.</p>https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/8651/2019/acp-19-8651-2019.pdf |
| spellingShingle | T. U. Ansari O. Wild J. Li T. Yang W. Xu W. Xu Y. Sun Y. Sun Y. Sun Z. Wang Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period |
| title_full | Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period |
| title_fullStr | Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period |
| title_short | Effectiveness of short-term air quality emission controls: a high-resolution model study of Beijing during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit period |
| title_sort | effectiveness of short term air quality emission controls a high resolution model study of beijing during the asia pacific economic cooperation apec summit period |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/19/8651/2019/acp-19-8651-2019.pdf |
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