Scattered coal is the largest source of ambient volatile organic compounds during the heating season in Beijing
<p>We identified scattered coal burning as the largest contributor to ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs), exceeding traffic-related emissions, during the heating season (the cold season when fossil fuel is burned for residential heating) in Beijing prior to the rigorous emission limitat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2020-08-01
|
| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/20/9351/2020/acp-20-9351-2020.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>We identified scattered coal burning as the largest contributor to
ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs), exceeding traffic-related
emissions, during the heating season (the cold season when fossil fuel
is burned for residential heating) in Beijing prior to the rigorous
emission limitations enacted in 2017. However, scattered coal is
underestimated in emission inventories generally because the activity
data are incompletely recorded in official energy statistics. Results
of positive matrix factorization (PMF) models confirmed that coal
burning was the largest contributor to VOC mixing ratios prior to the
emission limitations of 2017, and a reduction in scattered coal
combustion, especially in the rural residential sector, was the primary
factor in the observed decrease in ambient VOCs and secondary organic
aerosol (SOA) formation potential in urban Beijing after
2017. Scattered coal burning was included in a corrected emission
inventory, and we obtained comparable results between this corrected
inventory and PMF analysis particularly for the non-control period.
However, a refined source subclassification showed that passenger car
exhaust, petrochemical manufacturing, gas stations, traffic
evaporation, traffic equipment manufacturing, painting, and
electronics manufacturing are also contributors to ambient VOCs. These
sources should focus on future emission reduction strategies and
targets in Beijing. Moreover, in other regions with scattered
coal-based heating, scattered coal burning is still the key factor to
improve the air quality in winter.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |