Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain
<p>The North China Plain has been identified as a significant hotspot of ammonia (<span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span>) due to extensive agricultural activities. Satellite observations suggest a significant increase of about 30 % in tr...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2018-12-01
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| Series: | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| Online Access: | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/17933/2018/acp-18-17933-2018.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818429402206175232 |
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| author | M. Liu X. Huang Y. Song T. Xu S. Wang Z. Wu M. Hu L. Zhang Q. Zhang Y. Pan X. Liu T. Zhu |
| author_facet | M. Liu X. Huang Y. Song T. Xu S. Wang Z. Wu M. Hu L. Zhang Q. Zhang Y. Pan X. Liu T. Zhu |
| author_sort | M. Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <p>The North China Plain has been identified as a significant hotspot of ammonia
(<span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span>) due to extensive agricultural activities. Satellite
observations suggest a significant increase of about 30 % in tropospheric
gas-phase <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations in this area during 2008–2016.
However, the estimated <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> emissions decreased slightly by 7 %
because of changes in Chinese agricultural practices, i.e., the transition in
fertilizer types from ammonium carbonate fertilizer to urea, and in the
livestock rearing system from free-range to intensive farming. We note that
the emissions of sulfur dioxide (<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span>) have rapidly declined by
about 60 % over the recent few years. By integrating measurements from
ground and satellite, a long-term anthropogenic <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> emission
inventory, and chemical transport model simulations, we find that this large
<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emission reduction is responsible for the <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span>
increase over the North China Plain. The simulations for the period
2008–2016 demonstrate that the annual average sulfate concentrations
decreased by about 50 %, which significantly weakens the formation of
ammonium sulfate and increases the average proportions of gas-phase
<span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> within the total <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> column concentrations from
26 % (2008) to 37 % (2016). By fixing <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emissions of 2008
in those multi-year simulations, the increasing trend of the tropospheric
<span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations is not observed. Both the decreases in sulfate
and increases in <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations show highest values in summer,
possibly because the formation of sulfate aerosols is more sensitive to
<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emission reductions in summer than in other seasons. Besides,
the changes in <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> emissions and meteorological conditions
both decreased the <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> column concentrations by about 3 % in
the study period. Our simulations suggest that the moderate reduction in
<span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> emissions (16 %) favors the formation of
particulate nitrate by elevating ozone concentrations in the lower
troposphere.</p> |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:16:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bdd887fe71734599abb17af1786680ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1680-7316 1680-7324 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T15:16:57Z |
| publishDate | 2018-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| spelling | doaj.art-bdd887fe71734599abb17af1786680ba2022-12-21T22:56:17ZengCopernicus PublicationsAtmospheric Chemistry and Physics1680-73161680-73242018-12-0118179331794310.5194/acp-18-17933-2018Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China PlainM. Liu0X. Huang1Y. Song2T. Xu3S. Wang4Z. Wu5M. Hu6L. Zhang7Q. Zhang8Y. Pan9X. Liu10T. Zhu11State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaJoint International Research Laboratory of Atmospheric and Earth System Sciences, School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaLaboratory for Climate and Ocean–Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Center for Earth System Science, Institute for Global Change Studies, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences 100029, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, ChinaState Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China<p>The North China Plain has been identified as a significant hotspot of ammonia (<span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span>) due to extensive agricultural activities. Satellite observations suggest a significant increase of about 30 % in tropospheric gas-phase <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations in this area during 2008–2016. However, the estimated <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> emissions decreased slightly by 7 % because of changes in Chinese agricultural practices, i.e., the transition in fertilizer types from ammonium carbonate fertilizer to urea, and in the livestock rearing system from free-range to intensive farming. We note that the emissions of sulfur dioxide (<span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span>) have rapidly declined by about 60 % over the recent few years. By integrating measurements from ground and satellite, a long-term anthropogenic <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> emission inventory, and chemical transport model simulations, we find that this large <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emission reduction is responsible for the <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> increase over the North China Plain. The simulations for the period 2008–2016 demonstrate that the annual average sulfate concentrations decreased by about 50 %, which significantly weakens the formation of ammonium sulfate and increases the average proportions of gas-phase <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> within the total <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> column concentrations from 26 % (2008) to 37 % (2016). By fixing <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emissions of 2008 in those multi-year simulations, the increasing trend of the tropospheric <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations is not observed. Both the decreases in sulfate and increases in <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> concentrations show highest values in summer, possibly because the formation of sulfate aerosols is more sensitive to <span class="inline-formula">SO<sub>2</sub></span> emission reductions in summer than in other seasons. Besides, the changes in <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> emissions and meteorological conditions both decreased the <span class="inline-formula">NH<sub>3</sub></span> column concentrations by about 3 % in the study period. Our simulations suggest that the moderate reduction in <span class="inline-formula">NO<sub><i>x</i></sub></span> emissions (16 %) favors the formation of particulate nitrate by elevating ozone concentrations in the lower troposphere.</p>https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/17933/2018/acp-18-17933-2018.pdf |
| spellingShingle | M. Liu X. Huang Y. Song T. Xu S. Wang Z. Wu M. Hu L. Zhang Q. Zhang Y. Pan X. Liu T. Zhu Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics |
| title | Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain |
| title_full | Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain |
| title_fullStr | Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain |
| title_full_unstemmed | Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain |
| title_short | Rapid SO<sub>2</sub> emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the North China Plain |
| title_sort | rapid so sub 2 sub emission reductions significantly increase tropospheric ammonia concentrations over the north china plain |
| url | https://www.atmos-chem-phys.net/18/17933/2018/acp-18-17933-2018.pdf |
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