Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China
Ozone and PM<sub>2.5</sub> (all particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 µm or smaller) are currently two disturbing environmental issues in most cities of China. Black carbon (BC), mainly from incomplete combustion, is one of the most important components of PM<sub>2.5</sub>...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Atmosphere |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/7/870 |
| _version_ | 1827687978662625280 |
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| author | Fangfang Wang Jialuo Xu Yinzhi Huang Guangli Xiu |
| author_facet | Fangfang Wang Jialuo Xu Yinzhi Huang Guangli Xiu |
| author_sort | Fangfang Wang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ozone and PM<sub>2.5</sub> (all particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 µm or smaller) are currently two disturbing environmental issues in most cities of China. Black carbon (BC), mainly from incomplete combustion, is one of the most important components of PM<sub>2.5</sub> because it can absorb light and contribute to haze pollution and global warming. Meanwhile, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have become a major air pollutant due to their association with haze, ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), global warming and human health by direct or indirect processes. In this study, one year-long observation campaign of BC, VOCs and other conventional air pollutants was conducted in the Northern Region of the Hangzhou Bay (NRHB) in Shanghai, China. The results indicated that higher concentration of BC mainly occurred in the autumn and winter, especially in December. In December, higher BC concentrations were found when the air mass came from northwest where there is an important local freeway, or southwest where some adjacent southwest chemical industrial parks are located. Different from the characteristics of BC in urban areas reported by previous studies, the diurnal variation of BC exhibited three peaks, two of which coincided with the morning and evening rush hours which are related to the heavy diesel traffic from a nearby freeway, and the third peak was often found late at night, around 2 am, which might be associated with abnormal emissions from an industrial park or marine traffic in the ocean waterway. BC had weakly negative correlation with O<sub>3</sub> and NO, and a strongly positive correlation with PM<sub>2.5</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub>, which implies that some incomplete combustion sources might occur in the nearby regions. With regard to VOCs, BC had a strong positive correlation with alkane, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic and non-sulfur VOCs, particularly with aromatic organic matter. Unlike the stronger correlation with aromatics in the morning rush hours, a stronger correlation between BC and alkenes and alkynes during the evening rush hour was observed. The relationships between BC and VOCs, particularly with some specific VOCs species related to the neighboring chemical industrial park, demonstrated that the contribution of the surrounding chemical industrial parks to BC should not be neglected. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:46:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f7450f10f4614012b904cf48b624bb61 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-4433 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T09:46:31Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Atmosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-f7450f10f4614012b904cf48b624bb612023-11-22T03:13:56ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332021-07-0112787010.3390/atmos12070870Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, ChinaFangfang Wang0Jialuo Xu1Yinzhi Huang2Guangli Xiu3Shanghai Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Environmental Standard and Risk Management of Chemical Pollutants, School of Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaShanghai Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Environmental Standard and Risk Management of Chemical Pollutants, School of Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaShanghai Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Environmental Standard and Risk Management of Chemical Pollutants, School of Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaShanghai Environmental Protection Key Laboratory for Environmental Standard and Risk Management of Chemical Pollutants, School of Resources & Environmental Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, ChinaOzone and PM<sub>2.5</sub> (all particulate matter with diameter of 2.5 µm or smaller) are currently two disturbing environmental issues in most cities of China. Black carbon (BC), mainly from incomplete combustion, is one of the most important components of PM<sub>2.5</sub> because it can absorb light and contribute to haze pollution and global warming. Meanwhile, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have become a major air pollutant due to their association with haze, ozone (O<sub>3</sub>), global warming and human health by direct or indirect processes. In this study, one year-long observation campaign of BC, VOCs and other conventional air pollutants was conducted in the Northern Region of the Hangzhou Bay (NRHB) in Shanghai, China. The results indicated that higher concentration of BC mainly occurred in the autumn and winter, especially in December. In December, higher BC concentrations were found when the air mass came from northwest where there is an important local freeway, or southwest where some adjacent southwest chemical industrial parks are located. Different from the characteristics of BC in urban areas reported by previous studies, the diurnal variation of BC exhibited three peaks, two of which coincided with the morning and evening rush hours which are related to the heavy diesel traffic from a nearby freeway, and the third peak was often found late at night, around 2 am, which might be associated with abnormal emissions from an industrial park or marine traffic in the ocean waterway. BC had weakly negative correlation with O<sub>3</sub> and NO, and a strongly positive correlation with PM<sub>2.5</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub> and NO<sub>x</sub>, which implies that some incomplete combustion sources might occur in the nearby regions. With regard to VOCs, BC had a strong positive correlation with alkane, alkenes, alkynes, aromatic and non-sulfur VOCs, particularly with aromatic organic matter. Unlike the stronger correlation with aromatics in the morning rush hours, a stronger correlation between BC and alkenes and alkynes during the evening rush hour was observed. The relationships between BC and VOCs, particularly with some specific VOCs species related to the neighboring chemical industrial park, demonstrated that the contribution of the surrounding chemical industrial parks to BC should not be neglected.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/7/870black carbonHangzhou BayVOCscorrelation coefficientsShanghai |
| spellingShingle | Fangfang Wang Jialuo Xu Yinzhi Huang Guangli Xiu Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China Atmosphere black carbon Hangzhou Bay VOCs correlation coefficients Shanghai |
| title | Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China |
| title_full | Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China |
| title_short | Characterization of Black Carbon and Its Correlations with VOCs in the Northern Region of Hangzhou Bay in Shanghai, China |
| title_sort | characterization of black carbon and its correlations with vocs in the northern region of hangzhou bay in shanghai china |
| topic | black carbon Hangzhou Bay VOCs correlation coefficients Shanghai |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/12/7/870 |
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