Overview of Urban PM_(2. 5) Numerical Forecast Models in China

This paper made an overview and introduction of urban PM_(2. 5)numerical forecast models in China,and mainly introduced air quality simulated forecast system of Beijing,Shanghai,and Nanjing. On this basis,it discussed development direction and existing problems of urban PM_(2. 5)forecast models in China. Besides,it revealed significance of numerical models for air quality forecast. In a heavy air pollution of Beijing- Tianjin- Hebei in October 6- 12 th of 2014,the forecast results indicated that pollutants was transported from south to north,so the regional transport exerts great influence on concentration of PM_(2. 5).

Pollution characteristics and health risk assessment of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nitrated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons during heating season in Beijing

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs)and their nitrated derivatives(NPAHs)attract continuous attention due to their outstanding carcinogenicity and mutagenicity.In order to investigate the diurnal variations,sources,formation mechanism,and health risk assessment of them in heating season,particulate matter(PM)were collected in Beijing urban area from December 26,2017 to January 17,2018.PAHs and NPAHs in PM were quantitatively analyzed via gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS).Average daily concentrations of PAHs and NPAHs were(78±54)ng/m^(3)and(783±684)pg/m^(3),respectively.The concentrations of them were significantly higher at nighttime than at daytime,and NPAHs concentrations were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than PAHs concentrations.In the heating season,the dominant species of PAHs include benzo[b]fluoranthene,fluoranthene,pyrene,and chrysene,while 9-nitroanthracene,2+3-nitrofluoranthene,and 2-nitropyrene were dominant species for NPAHs.NPAHs were found to have a single peak during heating and to be primarily distributed in the 0.4-0.7μm particle size.Primary emissions such as biomass burning,coal combustion,and traffic emissions were the major sources of PAHs.NPAHs were produced by the primary source of vehicle emissions and the secondary reaction triggered by OH radicals,as well as biomass burning during daytime.According to the health risk assessment,the total carcinogenic risk was higher in adults than in children.While upon oral ingestion,the carcinogenic risk in children was higher than that of adults,but the risk of adults was higher than children through skin contact and respiratory inhalation.

Prospect of China's ambient air quality standards

Ambient air quality standards are the core strategic goal of ambient air quality management.Countries worldwide have given importance to research on the development of ambient air quality standards.To understand the history of the development of China’s ambient air quality standards,this study analyzed the background associated with all previous formulations and revisions of the standards,classification of functional areas,standard grading,pollutants,and evolution of the standard limits over the past 40 years.The results show that since the initial release of the“Ambient Air Quality Standard”by China in 1982,it has been supplemented once,revised twice,and modified twice.The first ambient air quality standard specified the standard limits of six pollutants commonly found in ambient air.With the development of ambient air quality management,the number of pollutants has increased to ten.Since the release of the“Ambient Air Quality Standards”in 2012,the ambient air quality in China has significantly improved.However,the proportion of cities meeting these standards is still low.At present,China is suitably positioned to make the standards associated with 24 hr SO2concentrations more stringent such that it meets the values defined in the World Health Organization(WHO)interim target-2 and the WHO air quality guideline(AQG).We further suggested that the SO2standard should be revised promptly.Simultaneously,regions with a relatively high proportion of cities meeting the standard are encouraged to introduce more stringent interim target limits in due course to manage the local ambient air quality.

Comprehensive evaluation method of urban air quality statistics based on environmental monitoring data and its application

Air quality monitoring is effective for timely understanding of the current air quality status of a region or city.Currently,the huge volume of environmental monitoring data,which has reasonable real-time performance,provides strong support for in-depth analysis of air pollution characteristics and causes.However,in the era of big data,to meet current demands for fine management of the atmospheric environment,it is important to explore the characteristics and causes of air pollution from multiple aspects for comprehensive and scientific evaluation of air quality.This study reviewed and summarized air quality evaluation methods on the basis of environmental monitoring data statistics during the 13th Five-Year Plan period,and evaluated the level of air pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and its surrounding areas(i.e.,the“2+26”region)during the period of the three-year action plan to fight air pollution.We suggest that air quality should be comprehensively,deeply,and scientifically evaluated from the aspects of air pollution characteristics,causes,and influences of meteorological conditions and anthropogenic emissions.It is also suggested that a threeyear moving average be introduced as one of the evaluation indexes of long-term change of pollutants.Additionally,both temporal and spatial differences should be considered when removing confounding meteorological factors.

Formation mechanism of typical aromatic sulfuric anhydrides and their potential role in atmospheric nucleation process

Sulfuric anhydrides,generated from the cycloaddition reaction of SO3with carboxylic acids,have been revealed to be potential participants in the nucleation process of new particle formation(NPF).Hence the reaction mechanisms of typical aromatic acids(benzoic acid(BA),phenylacetic acid(PAA),phthalic acid(PA),isophthalic acid(mPA),and terephthalic acid(PTA))with SO3to generate the corresponding aromatic sulfuric anhydrides were investigated by density functional theory calculations at the level of M06-2X/6-311++G(3df,3pd).As a result,these reactions were found to be feasible in the gas phase with barriers of 0.34,0.30,0.18,0.08 and 0.12 kcal/mol to generate corresponding aromatic sulfuric anhydrides,respectively.The thermodynamic stabilities of clusters containing aromatic sulfuric anhydrides and atmospheric nucleation precursors(sulfuric acid,ammonia and dimethylamine)were further analyzed to identify the potential role of aromatic sulfuric anhydrides in NPF.As the thermodynamic stability of a cluster depends on both the number and strength of hydrogen bonds,the greater stability of the interactions between atmospheric nucleation precursors and aromatic sulfuric anhydrides than with aromatic acids make aromatic sulfuric anhydrides potential participators in the nucleation process of NPF.Moreover,compared with BA,the addition of a-CH_(2)-functional group in PAA has little influence on the reaction barrier with SO3but an inhibitive effect on the thermodynamic stability of clusters.The position of the two-COOH functional groups in PA,m PA and PTA does not have a consistent impact on the reaction barrier with SO3or the thermodynamic stability.

Evaluating cost and benefit of air pollution control policies in China:A systematic review

China has put great efforts into air pollution control over the past years and recently committed to its most ambitious climate target.Cost and benefit analysis has been widely used to evaluate the control policies in terms of past performance,future reduction potential,and direct and indirect impacts.To understand the cost and benefit analysis for air pollution control in China,we conducted a bibliometric review of more than 100 studies published over the past two decades,including the current research progress,most commonly adopted methods,and core findings.The control target in cost and benefit analysis has shifted in three stages,from individual and primary pollution control,moving to joint prevention of multiple and secondary pollutants,and then towards synergistic control of air pollution and carbon.With the expansion of the research scope,the integrated assessment model has gradually demonstrated the necessity for long-term ex-anti policy simulation,especially for dealing with complex factors.To ensure long-term air quality,climate,public health,and sustainable economic development,substantial evidence from published studies has suggested that China needs to continue its efforts in the upstream adjustment of the energy system and industrial structure with multi-regional and-sector collaboration.This cost and benefit review paper provides decision-makers with the fundamental information and knowledge gaps in air pollution control strategies in China,and direction for facing future challenges.

Size distributions and sources of elements in particulate matter at curbside,urban and rural sites in Beijing

Size distributions of 29 elements in aerosols collected at urban,rural and curbside sites in Beijing were studied.High levels of Mn,Ni,As,Cd and Pb indicate the pollution of toxic heavy metals cannot be neglected in Beijing.Principal component analysis （PCA） indicates 4 sources of combustion emission,crust related sources,traffic related sources and volatile species from coal combustion.The elements can be roughly divided into 3 groups by size distribution and enrichment factors method （EFs）.Group 1 elements are crust related and mainly found within coarse mode including Al,Mg,Ca,Sc,Ti,Fe,Sr,Zr and Ba;Group 2 elements are fossil fuel related and mostly concentrated in accumulation mode including S,As,Se,Ag,Cd,Tl and Pb;Group 3 elements are multi-source related and show multi-mode distribution including Be,Na,K,Cr,Mn,Co,Ni,Cu,Zn,Ga,Mo,Sn and Sb.The EFs of Be,S,Cr,Co,Ni,Cu,Ga,Se,Mo,Ag,Cd,Sb,Tl and Pb show higher values in winter than in summer indicating sources of coal combustion for heating in winter.The abundance of Cu and Sb in coarse mode is about 2–6 times higher at curbside site than at urban site indicating their traffic sources.Coal burning may be the major source of Pb in Beijing since the phase out of leaded gasoline,as the EFs of Pb are comparable at both urban and curbside sites,and about two times higher in winter than that in summer.

Size distribution, characteristics and sources of heavy metals in haze episod in Beijing

Size segragated samples were collected during high polluted winter haze days in 2006 in Beijing, China. Twenty nine elements and 9 water soluble ions were determined. Heavy metals of Zn, Pb, Mn, Cu, As, Cr, Ni, V and Cd were deeply studied considering their toxic effect on human being. Among these heavy metals, the levels of Mn, As and Cd exceeded the reference values of National Ambient Air Quality Standard （GB3095-2012） and guidelines of World Health Organization. By estimation, high percentage of atmospheric heavy metals in PM2.5 indicates it is an effective way to control atmospheric heavy metals by PM2.5 controlling. Pb, Cd, and Zn show mostly in accumulation mode, V, Mn and Cu exist mostly in both coarse and accumulation modes, and Ni and Cr exist in all of the three modes. Considering the health effect, the breakthrough rates of atmospheric heavy metals into pulmonary alveoli are： Pb （62.1%） 〉 As （58.1%） 〉 Cd （57.9%） 〉 Zn （57.7%） 〉 Cu （55.8%） 〉 Ni （53.5%） 〉 Cr （52.2%） 〉 Mn （49.2%） 〉 V （43.5%）. Positive matrix factorization method was applied for source apportionment of studied heavy metals combined with some marker elements and ions such as K, As, SO42- etc., and four factors （dust, vehicle, aged and transportation, unknown） are identified and the size distribution contribution of them to atmospheric heavy metals are discussed.

The levels, sources and reactivity of volatile organic compounds in a typical urban area of Northeast China

Air concentrations of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) were continually measured at a monitoring site in Shenyang from 20 August to 16 September 2017. The average concentrations of alkanes, alkenes, aromatics and carbonyls were 28.54, 6.30, 5.59 and9.78 ppbv, respectively. Seven sources were identified by the Positive Matrix Factorization model based on the measurement data of VOCs and CO. Vehicle exhaust contributed the most(36.15%) to the total propene-equivalent concentration of the measured VOCs,followed by combustion emission(16.92%), vegetation emission and secondary formation(14.33%), solvent usage(10.59%), petrochemical industry emission(9.89%), petrol evaporation(6.28%), and liquefied petroleum gas(LPG) usage(5.84%). Vehicle exhaust, solvent usage and combustion emission were found to be the top three VOC sources for O_3 formation potential, accounting for 34.52%, 16.55% and 11.94%, respectively. The diurnal variation of the total VOCs from each source could be well explained by their emission characteristics,e.g., the two peaks of VOC concentrations from LPG usage were in line with the cooking times for breakfast and lunch. Wind rose plots of the VOCs from each source could reveal the possible distribution of the sources around the monitoring site. The O_3 pollution episodes during the measurement period were found to be coincident with the elevation of VOCs, which was mainly due to the air parcel from the southeast direction where petrochemical industry emission was found to be dominant, suggesting that the petrochemical industry emission from the southeast was probably a significant cause of O_3 pollution in Shenyang.

Particle number size distribution and new particle formation:New characteristics during the special pollution control period in Beijing

New particle formation is a key process in shaping the size distribution of aerosols in the atmosphere.We present here the measurement results of number and size distribution of aerosol particles （10–10000 nm in diameter） obtained in the summer of 2008,at a suburban site in Beijing,China.We firstly reported the pollution level,particle number size distribution,diurnal variation of the particle number size distribution and then introduced the characteristics of the particle formation processes.The results showed that the number concentration of ultrafine particles was much lower than the values measured in other urban or suburban areas in previous studies.Sharp increases of ultrafine particle count were frequently observed at noon.An examination of the diurnal pattern suggested that the burst of ultrafine particles was mainly due to new particle formation promoted by photochemical processes.In addition,high relative humidity was a key factor driving the growth of the particles in the afternoon.During the 2-month observations,new particle formation from homogeneous nucleation was observed for 42.7% of the study period.The average growth rate of newly formed particles was 3.2 nm/hr,and varied from 1.2 to 8.0 nm/hr.The required concentration of condensable vapor was 4.4×10 7 cm-3,and its source rate was 1.2×10 6 cm-3 sec-1.Further calculation on the source rate of sulphuric acid vapor indicated that the average participation of sulphuric acid to particle growth rates was 28.7%.

Size distribution and source of heavy metals in particulate matter on the lead and zinc smelting affected area

In order to understand the size distribution and the main kind of heavy metals in particulate matter on the lead and zinc smelting affected area, particulate matter （PM） and the source samples were collected in Zhuzhou, Hunan Province from December 2011 to January 2012 and the results were discussed and interpreted. Atmospheric particles were collected with different sizes by a cascade impactor. The concentrations of heavy metals in atmospheric particles of different sizes, collected from the air and from factories, were measured using an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry （ICP-MS）. The results indicated that the average concentration of PM, chromium （Cr）, arsenic （As）, cadmium （Cd） and lead （Pb） in PM was 177.3 ± 33.2 μg/m^3, 37.3 ± 8.8 ng/m^3, 17.3 ± 8.1 ng/m^3, 4.8 ± 3.1 ng/m^3 and 141.6 ± 49.1 ng/m^3, respectively. The size distribution of PM displayed a bimodal distribution; the maximum PM size distribution was at 1.1-2.1 μm, followed by 9-10 μm. The size distribution of As, cd and Pb in PM was similar to the distribution of the PM mass, with peaks observed at the range of 1.1-2.1 μm and 9-10 μm ranges while for Cr, only a single-mode at 4.7-5.8 μm was observed. PM （64.7%, As （72.5%）, cd （72.2%） and Pb （75.8%） were associated with the fine mode below 2.1 μm, respectively, while Cr （46.6%） was associated with the coarse mode. The size distribution characteristics, enrichment factor, correlation coefficient values, source information and the analysis of source samples showed that As, Cd and Pb in PM were the typical heavy metal in lead and zinc smelting affected areas, which originated mainly from lead and zinc smelting sources.

Cause of PM2.5 pollution during the 2016-2017 heating season in Beijing, Tianjin, and Langfang, China

To investigate the cause of fine particulate matter(particles with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 um,PM2.5) pollution in the heating season in the North China Plain(specifically Beijing,Tianjin,and Langfang),water-soluble ions and carbonaceous components in PM2.5were simultaneously measured by online instruments with 1-hr resolution,from November 15,2016 to March 15,2017.The results showed extreme severity of PM2.5 pollution on a regional scale.Secondary inorganic ions(SNA,i.e.,NO3-+So42+NH4+) dominated the water-soluble ions,accounting for 30%-40% of PM2.5,while the total carbon(TC,i.e.,OC+EC) contributed to 26.5%-30.1% of PM2.5 IN the three cities.SNA were mainly responsible for the increasing PM2.5 pollution compared with organic matter(OM).NO3-was the most abundant species among water-soluble ions,but SO42- played a much more important role in driving the elevated PM2.5 concentrations.The relative humidity(RH) and its precursor SO2 were the key factors affecting the formation of sulfate.Homogeneous reactions dominated the formation of nitrate which was mainly limited by HNO3 in ammonia-rich conditions.Secondary formation and regional transport from the heavily polluted region promoted the growth of PM2.5 concentrations in the formation stage of PM2.5 pollution in Beijing and Langfang.Regional transport or local emissions,along with secondary formation,made great contributions to the PM2.5 pollution in the evolution stage of PM2.5 pollution in Beijing and Langfang.The favourable meteorological conditions and regional transport from a relatively clean region both favored the diffusion of pollutants in all three cities.

Reviews of emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds(BVOCs) in Asia

Biogenic volatile organic compounds(BVOCs) in the atmosphere play important roles in the formation of ground-level ozone and secondary organic aerosol(SOA) in global scale and also in regional scale under some condition due to their large amount and relatively higher reactivity.In places with high plant cover in the tropics and in China where air pollution is serious,the effect of BVOCs on ozone and secondary organic aerosols is strong.The present research aims to provide a comprehensive review about the emission rate,emission inventory, research methods,the influencing factors of BVOCs emissions,as well as their impacts on atmospheric environment quality and human health in recent years in Asia based on the summary and analysis of literatures.It is suggested to use field direct measurement method to obtain the emission rate and model method to calculate the emission amount.Several recommendations are given for future investigation and policy development on BVOCs emission.

Atmospheric isoprene and monoterpenes in a typical urban area of Beijing： Pollution characterization, chemical reactivity and source identification

Continuous observation of isoprene, β-pinene and β-pinene was carried out in a typical urban area of Beijing from March 2014 to February 2015, using an AirmoVOC online analyzer. Based on the analysis of the ambient level and variation characteristics of isoprene, β-pinene and β- pinene, the chemical reactivity was studied, and their sources were identified. Results showed that the concentrations of isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene in the urban area of Beijing were lower than those in richly vegetated areas; the concentrations of isoprene were at a moderate level compared with those of previous studies of Beijing. Concentrations of isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene showed different seasonal, monthly, daily and diurnal variations, and all of the three species showed higher level at night than those in the daytime as a whole, the variations of isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene mainly influenced by emission of sources, photochemical reaction, and meteorological parameters. Isoprene was the largest contributor to the total OFP values than β-pinene and β-pinene. α-Pinene was the largest contributor to the total SOAFP values than isoprene and β-pinene in autumn, while isoprene was the largest one in other seasons. Isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene were derived mainly from biological sources; and α- pinene level were also affected by industrial sources. To reduce the concentrations of isoprene, α-pinene and β-pinene, it is necessary to scientifically select urban green plant species, and more strict control measures should be taken to reduce the emission of β-pinene from industrial sources, such as artificial flavors and resins synthesis processes.

Characterization of precipitation in the background of atmospheric pollutants reduction in Guilin: Temporal variation and source apportionment

Rainfall samples were collected from three observation sites in Guilin from 2013 to 2017, and the chemical composition characteristics of precipitation and the contribution made by different ion sources were analyzed when atmospheric pollutants levels were reduced. The results showed that acid gas emissions and atmospheric pollutant concentrations continued to decline during the study period. However, the change in the volume-weighted mean p H at the three sites suggested that acid rain pollution was not alleviated and began to deteriorate after 2015. The continuing downward trend for alkaline neutralizing ions(Ca^(2+), NH_4^+) in precipitation indicated that the reduction in alkaline neutralizing substances in the atmosphere was an important factor that led to the deterioration in acid rain across Guilin. The principal component analysis and spearman correlation analysis indicated five sources of ions in precipitation. Quantitative assessment of these five sources indicated that fossil fuel combustion contributed the most ions concentration in precipitation at the three sites, followed by agriculture, terrestrial(crustal) sources, marine sources, and biomass burning. Long-distance airflow might affect the acidity, the electrical conductivity(EC), and ion concentrations in precipitation across Guilin. The airflow trajectory from the west and southeast directions corresponded to higher acidity and ion concentrations. According to the current air pollution control strategy planned by Guilin, reducing atmospheric coarse particles and NH_3 at the same time may potentially lead to further deteriorations in acid rain contents. Therefore, Guilin needs to develop more reasonable pollution prevention measures that synergistically control atmospheric pollutants and acid rain pollution.

Spatial and temporal variation of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in 26 cities in China

O3 and PM2.5 were introduced into the newly revised air quality standard system in February 2012, representing a milestone in the history of air pollution control, and China＇s urban air quality will be evaluated using six factors （SO2, NO2, O3, CO, PM2.5 and PM10） from the beginning of 2013. To achieve the new air quality standard, it is extremely important to have a primary understanding of the current pollution status in various cities. The spatial and temporal variations of the air pollutants were investigated in 26 pilot cities in China from August 2011 to February 2012, just before the new standard was executed. Hourly averaged SO2, NO2 and PMlo were observed in 26 cities, and the pollutants O3, CO and PM2.5 were measured in 15 of the 26 cities. The concentrations of SO2 and CO were much higher in the cities in north China than those in the south. As for O3 and NO2, however, there was no significant difference between northern and southern cities. Fine particles were found to account for a large proportion of airborne particles, with the ratio of PM2.5 to PMI0 ranging from 55% to 77%. The concentrations of PM2.5 （57.5 μg/m3） and PMlo （91.2 μg/m3） were much higher than the values （PM2.5：11.2μg/m3; PMI0：35.6 μg/m3） recommended by the World Health Organization. The attainment of the new urban air quality standard in the investigated cities is decreased by 20% in comparison with the older standard without considering O3, CO and PM2.5, suggesting a great challenge in urban air quality improvement, and more efforts will to be taken to control air pollution in China.

Ambient volatile organic compounds pollution in China

Owing to rapid economic and industrial development, China has been suffering from degraded air quality and visibility. Volatile organic compounds （VOCs） are important precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone and hence photochemical smog. Some VOCs adversely affect human health. Therefore, VOCs have recently elicited public concern and given new impetus to scientific interest. China is now implementing a series of polices to control VOCs pollution. The key to formulating policy is understanding the ambient VOCs pollution status. This paper mainly analyzes the species, levels, sources, and spatial distributions of VOCs in ambient air. The results show that the concentrations of ambient VOCs in China are much higher than those of developed countries such as the United States and Japan, especial benzene, which exceeds available standards. At the same time, the ozone formation potential （OFP） and secondary organic aerosol formation potential （SOAFP） of various VOCs are calculated. Aromatics and alkenes have much higher OFPs, while aromatics have higher SOAFP. The OFPs of ambient VOCs in the cities of Beijing, Guangzhou and Changchun are very high, and the SOAFP of ambient VOCs in the cities of Hangzhou, Guangzhou and Changchun are higher.

Chemical composition and source apportionment of PM10 and PM2.5 in different functional areas of Lanzhou,China

To elucidate the air pollution characteristics of northern China, airborne PM_10（atmospheric dynamic equivalent diameter ≤ 10 μm） and PM_（2.5）（atmospheric dynamic equivalent diameter ≤ 2.5 μm） were sampled in three different functional areas（Yuzhong County,Xigu District and Chengguan District） of Lanzhou, and their chemical composition（elements, ions, carbonaceous species） was analyzed. The results demonstrated that the highest seasonal mean concentrations of PM_10（369.48 μg/m^3） and PM_（2.5）（295.42 μg/m^3） were detected in Xigu District in the winter, the lowest concentration of PM_（2.5）（53.15 μg/m^3） was observed in Yuzhong District in the fall and PM_10（89.60 μg/m^3） in Xigu District in the fall.The overall average OC/EC（organic carbon/elemental carbon） value was close to the representative OC/EC ratio for coal consumption, implying that the pollution of Lanzhou could be attributed to the burning of coal. The content of SNA（the sum of sulfate, nitrate,ammonium, SNA） in PM_（2.5）in Yuzhong County was generally lower than that at other sites in all seasons. The content of SNA in PM_（2.5）and PM_10 in Yuzhong County was generally lower than that at other sites in all seasons（0.24–0.38）, indicating that the conversion ratios from precursors to secondary aerosols in the low concentration area was slower than in the area with high and intense pollutants. Six primary particulate matter sources were chosen based on positive matrix factorization（PMF） analysis, and emissions from dust, secondary aerosols, and coal burning were identified to be the primary sources responsible for the particle pollution in Lanzhou.

SO_2 emission cap planning for Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone

The SO 2 emission sources of the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone were divided into 556 emissions units according to four different categories,which are city,industry,point sources,and area sources.The CALPUFF model was used to calculate the contribution of each unit,and consequently obtain an influence-transferring matrix.To ensure that the SO 2 concentrations of 46 cities and counties in the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone meet air quality standards,an emission optimization model was developed to calculate optimal emissions of each emission unit under different development scenarios.The result showed the optimal emissions of SO 2 by different provinces and industries.To achieve the target of restricting and optimizing development,corresponding planning programs were developed for every district.

TOF–SIMS surface analysis of chemical components of size–fractioned urban aerosols in a typical heavy air pollution event in Beijing

Size–fractioned atmospheric aerosol particles were collected during a typical heavy air pollution event in Beijing. The organic and inorganic components on the surfaces of the samples were analyzed using time–of–flight secondary ion mass spectrometry（TOF–SIMS）.The variation characteristics of the surface chemical composition and influencing factors were studied, and the possible sources of these chemical compositions were identified through principal component analysis. The results showed that inorganic components such as crustal elements and sulfate, and organic components such as aliphatic hydrocarbons and oxygen–containing organic groups were present. Some surface components, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heavy metals and fluorides may exert adverse effects on human health. The species and relative percentages of the chemical components varied with particle size, diurnal and pollution progress. During a heavy pollution event, the species and relative percentages of secondary components such as oxygen–containing organic groups and sulfurous compounds increased, indicating that particles aged during this event. The surface chemical composition of the aerosol particles was affected mainly by emissions from coal combustion and motor vehicles. In addition, air pollution, meteorological factors, and air mass transport also exerted a significant effect on the surface chemical composition of aerosol particles.