Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions
Extreme haze episodes repeatedly shrouded Beijing during the winter of 2012–2013, causing major environmental and health problems. To better understand these extreme events, we performed a model-assisted analysis of the hourly observation data of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and its major chemical c...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2015-03-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/2969/2015/acp-15-2969-2015.pdf |
| _version_ | 1817998795238014976 |
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| author | G. J. Zheng F. K. Duan H. Su Y. L. Ma Y. Cheng B. Zheng Q. Zhang T. Huang T. Kimoto D. Chang U. Pöschl Y. F. Cheng K. B. He |
| author_facet | G. J. Zheng F. K. Duan H. Su Y. L. Ma Y. Cheng B. Zheng Q. Zhang T. Huang T. Kimoto D. Chang U. Pöschl Y. F. Cheng K. B. He |
| author_sort | G. J. Zheng |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Extreme haze episodes repeatedly shrouded Beijing during the winter of
2012–2013, causing major environmental and health problems. To better
understand these extreme events, we performed a model-assisted analysis of
the hourly observation data of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and its major chemical
compositions. The synthetic analysis shows that (1) the severe winter haze
was driven by stable synoptic meteorological conditions over northeastern
China, and not by an abrupt increase in anthropogenic emissions. (2)
Secondary species, including organics, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium, were
the major constituents of PM<sub>2.5</sub> during this period. (3) Due to the
dimming effect of high loading of aerosol particles, gaseous oxidant
concentrations decreased significantly, suggesting a reduced production of
secondary aerosols through gas-phase reactions. Surprisingly, the
observational data reveals an enhanced production rate of secondary
aerosols, suggesting an important contribution from other formation
pathways, most likely heterogeneous reactions. These reactions appeared to
be more efficient in producing secondary inorganics aerosols than organic
aerosols resulting in a strongly elevated fraction of inorganics during
heavily polluted periods. (4) Moreover, we found that high aerosol
concentration was a regional phenomenon. The accumulation process of aerosol
particles occurred successively from cities southeast of Beijing. The
apparent sharp increase in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration of up to several hundred
μg m<sup>−3</sup> per hour recorded in Beijing represented rapid recovery
from an interruption to the continuous pollution accumulation over the
region, rather than purely local chemical production. This suggests that
regional transport of pollutants played an important role during these
severe pollution events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:59:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-86d01a8f44b342839b82917196528d66 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-14T02:59:19Z |
| publishDate | 2015-03-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-86d01a8f44b342839b82917196528d662022-12-22T02:15:59ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242015-03-011562969298310.5194/acp-15-2969-2015Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactionsG. J. Zheng0F. K. Duan1H. Su2Y. L. Ma3Y. Cheng4B. Zheng5Q. Zhang6T. Huang7T. Kimoto8D. Chang9U. Pöschl10Y. F. Cheng11K. B. He12State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaMultiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128, Mainz, GermanyState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaKimoto Electric Co., Ltd, 3-1 Funahashi-cho Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0024, JapanKimoto Electric Co., Ltd, 3-1 Funahashi-cho Tennoji-ku, Osaka 543-0024, JapanMultiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128, Mainz, GermanyMultiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128, Mainz, GermanyMultiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128, Mainz, GermanyState Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaExtreme haze episodes repeatedly shrouded Beijing during the winter of 2012–2013, causing major environmental and health problems. To better understand these extreme events, we performed a model-assisted analysis of the hourly observation data of PM<sub>2.5</sub> and its major chemical compositions. The synthetic analysis shows that (1) the severe winter haze was driven by stable synoptic meteorological conditions over northeastern China, and not by an abrupt increase in anthropogenic emissions. (2) Secondary species, including organics, sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium, were the major constituents of PM<sub>2.5</sub> during this period. (3) Due to the dimming effect of high loading of aerosol particles, gaseous oxidant concentrations decreased significantly, suggesting a reduced production of secondary aerosols through gas-phase reactions. Surprisingly, the observational data reveals an enhanced production rate of secondary aerosols, suggesting an important contribution from other formation pathways, most likely heterogeneous reactions. These reactions appeared to be more efficient in producing secondary inorganics aerosols than organic aerosols resulting in a strongly elevated fraction of inorganics during heavily polluted periods. (4) Moreover, we found that high aerosol concentration was a regional phenomenon. The accumulation process of aerosol particles occurred successively from cities southeast of Beijing. The apparent sharp increase in PM<sub>2.5</sub> concentration of up to several hundred μg m<sup>−3</sup> per hour recorded in Beijing represented rapid recovery from an interruption to the continuous pollution accumulation over the region, rather than purely local chemical production. This suggests that regional transport of pollutants played an important role during these severe pollution events.http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/2969/2015/acp-15-2969-2015.pdf |
| spellingShingle | G. J. Zheng F. K. Duan H. Su Y. L. Ma Y. Cheng B. Zheng Q. Zhang T. Huang T. Kimoto D. Chang U. Pöschl Y. F. Cheng K. B. He Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| title_full | Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| title_short | Exploring the severe winter haze in Beijing: the impact of synoptic weather, regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| title_sort | exploring the severe winter haze in beijing the impact of synoptic weather regional transport and heterogeneous reactions |
| url | http://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/15/2969/2015/acp-15-2969-2015.pdf |
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