The Increasing Role of Synergistic Effects in Carbon Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement, and Its Associated Health Benefits in China

A synergistic pathway is regarded as a critical measure for tackling the intertwined challenges of climate change and air pollution in China. However, there is as yet no indicator that can comprehensively reflect such synergistic effects;hence, existing studies lack a consistent framework for comparison. Here, we introduce a new synergistic indicator defined as the pollutant generation per gross domestic product (GDP) and adopt an integrated analysis framework by linking the logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method, response surface model (RSM), and global exposure mortality model (GEMM) to evaluate the synergistic effects of carbon mitigation on both air pollutant reduction and public health in China. The results show that synergistic effects played an increasingly important role in the emissions mitigation of SO_(2), NOx, and primary particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter no greater than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), and the synergistic mitigation of pollutants respectively increase from 3.1, 1.4, and 0.3 Mt during the 11th Five-Year Plan (FYP) (2006–2010) to 5.6, 3.7, and 1.9 Mt during the 12th FYP (2011–2015). Against the non-control scenario, synergistic effects alone contributed to a 15% reduction in annual mean PM2.5 concentration, resulting in the prevention of 0.29 million (95% confidential interval: 0.28–0.30) PM2.5-attributable excess deaths in 2015. Synergistic benefits to air quality improvement and public health were remarkable in the developed and population-dense eastern provinces and municipalities. With the processes of urbanization and carbon neutrality in the future, synergistic effects are expected to continue to increase. Realizing climate targets in advance in developed regions would concurrently bring strong synergistic effects to air quality and public health.

Practices and Empirical Insights from the National Research Program for Key Issues in Air Pollution in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and Surrounding Areas

1.Introduction The United States began implementing policies against air pollution in earnest starting in the early 1970s,taking several decades and an economic recession to achieve reductions in air pollution.In contrast,China has reduced its air pollution by the same amount in only seven years[1].Compared with foreign countries.

Progress of Air Pollution Control in China and Its Challenges and Opportunities in the Ecological Civilization Era

China’s past economic growth has substantially relied on fossil fuels,causing serious air pollution issues.Decoupling economic growth and pollution has become the focus in developing ecological civilization in China.We have analyzed the three-decade progress of air pollution controls in China,highlighting a strategic transformation from emission control toward air quality management.Emission control of sulfur dioxide(SO2)resolved the deteriorating acid rain issue in China in 2007.Since 2013,control actions on multiple precursors and sectors have targeted the reduction of the concentration of fine particulate matter(PM2.5),marking a transition to an air-quality-oriented strategy.Increasing ozone(O3)pollution further requires O3 and PM2.5 integrated control strategies with an emphasis on their complex photochemical interactions.Fundamental improvement of air quality in China,as a key indicator for the success of ecological civilization construction,demands the deep de-carbonization of China’s energy system as well as more synergistic pathways to address air pollution and global climate change simultaneously.

Real-Time Black Carbon Emissions from Light-Duty Passenger Vehicles Using a Portable Emissions Measurement System

Black carbon(BC)is considered the second largest anthropogenic climate forcer,but the radiative effects of BC are highly correlated with its combustion sources.On-road vehicles are an important source of anthropogenic BC.However,there are major uncertainties in the estimates of the BC emissions from on-road light-duty passenger vehicles(LDPVs),and results obtained with the portable emissions measurement system(PEMS)method are particularly lacking.We developed a PEMS platform and evaluated the on-road BC emissions from ten in-use LDPVs.We demonstrated that the BC emission factors(EFs)of gasoline direction injection(GDI)engine vehicles range from 1.10 to 1.56 mg.km^(-1),which are higher than the EFs of port fuel injection(PFI)engine vehicles(0.10–0.17 mg.km^(-1))by a factor of 11.The BC emissions during the cold-start phase contributed 2%–33%to the total emissions.A strong correlation(R^(2)=0.70)was observed between the relative BC EFs and average vehicle speed,indicating that traffic congestion alleviation could effectively mitigate BC emissions.Moreover,BC and particle number(PN)emissions were linearly correlated(R^(2)=0.90),and compared to PFI engine vehicles,the instantaneous PN-to-BC emission rates of GDI engine vehicles were less sensitive to vehicle specific power-to-velocity(VSPV)increase in all speed ranges.

Green manufacturing for achieving carbon neutrality goal requires innovative technologies:A bibliometric analysis from 1991 to 2022

Recent years have seen a significant increase in interest in green manufacturing as a key driver of global carbon-neutral efforts and sustainable development.To find the research hotspots of green manufacturing and reveal future research trends,this study reviewed and analyzed research articles from the Web of Science database on green manufacturing from1991 to 2022 using a bibliometric method.The findings indicate a significant rise in the number of articles related to green manufacturing since the 2010s.Moreover,there has been an increase in the involvement of scholars from developing countries such as China and India in this field.Based on the literature review and bibliometric cluster analysis on green manufacturing,we believed that future research may continue following the lines of intelligent technology integration,adoption of frontier engineering techniques,and industry development in line with carbon reduction targets.A framework for future green manufacturing development is proposed,with a focus on Chinese policies.The framework could provide policy implications for developing countries looking to pursue opportunities for development in green manufacturing.

Boosting the catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34in NO_(x) removal via hydrothermal treatment

Phosphate ions promoted Cu-SAPO-34(P-Cu-SAPO-34)were prepared using bulk CuO particles as Cu^(2+)precursor by a solid-state ion exchange technique for the selective catalytic reduction of NO_(x) with NH_3(NH_3-SCR).The effects of high temperature(H-T)hydrothermal aging on the NO_(x) removal(de-NO_(x))performance of Cu-SAPO-34 with and without phosphate ions were systematically investigated at atomic level.The results displayed that both Cu-SAPO-34 and P-Cu-SAPO-34 presented relatively poor NO_(x) removal activity with a low conversion(<30%)at 250-500℃.However,after H-T hydrothermal treatment(800℃ for 10 hr at 10%H_2O),these two samples showed significantly satisfied NO_(x) elimination performance with a quite high conversion(70%-90%)at 250-500℃.Additionally,phosphate ions decoration can further enhance the catalytic performance of Cu-SAPO-34 after hydrothermal treatment(Cu-SAPO-34H).The textural properties,morphologies,structural feature,acidity,redox characteristic,and surface-active species of the fresh and hydrothermally aged samples were analyzed using various characterization methods.The systematical characterization results revealed that increases of 28%of the isolated Cu^(2+)active species(Cu^(2+)-2Z,Cu(OH)^(+)-Z)mainly from bulk CuO and 50%of the Bronsted acid sites,the high dispersion of isolated Cu^(2+)active component as well as the Bronsted acid sites were mainly responsible for the accepted catalytic activity of these two hydrothermally aged samples,especially for P-Cu-SAPO-34H.

Synergetic PM_(2.5) and O_(3) control strategy for the Yangtze River Delta,China

PM_(2.5)concentrations have dramatically reduced in key regions of China during the period 2013-2017,while O_(3)has increased.Hence there is an urgent demand to develop a synergetic regional PM_(2.5)and O_(3)control strategy.This study develops an emission-to-concentration response surface model and proposes a synergetic pathway for PM_(2.5)and O_(3)control in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD)based on the framework of the Air Benefit and Cost and Attainment Assessment System(ABaCAS).Results suggest that the regional emissions of NOx,SO_(2),NH3,VOCs(volatile organic compounds)and primary PM_(2.5)should be reduced by 18%,23%,14%,17%and 33%compared with 2017 to achieve 25%and 5% decreases of PM_(2.5)and O_(3)in 2025,and that the emission reduction ratios will need to be 50%,26%,28%,28% and 55%to attain the National Ambient Air Quality Standard.To effectively reduce the O_(3) pollution in the central and eastern YRD,VOCs controls need to be strengthened to reduce O_(3)by 5%,and then NOx reduction should be accelerated for air quality attainment.Meanwhile,control of primary PM_(2.5)emissions shall be prioritized to address the severe PM_(2.5)pollution in the northern YRD.For most cities in the YRD,the VOCs emission reduction ratio should be higher than that for NOx in Spring and Autumn.NOx control should be increased in summer rather than winter when a strong VOC-limited regime occurs.Besides,regarding the emission control of industrial processes,on-road vehicle and residential sources shall be prioritized and the joint control area should be enlarged to include Shandong,Jiangxi and Hubei Province for effective O_(3)control.

Variability of fuel consumption and CO_(2) emissions of a gasoline passenger car under multiple in-laboratory and on-road testing conditions

An increasing divergence regarding fuel consumption(and/or CO_(2)emissions) between realworld and type-approval values for light-duty gasoline vehicles(LDGVs) has posed severe challenges to mitigating greenhouse gases(GHGs) and achieving carbon emissions peak and neutrality. To address this divergence issue, laboratory test cycles with more real-featured and transient traffic patterns have been developed recently, for example, the China Lightduty Vehicle Test Cycle for Passenger cars(CLTC-P). We collected fuel consumption and CO_(2)emissions data of a LDGV under various conditions based on laboratory chassis dynamometer and on-road tests. Laboratory results showed that both standard test cycles and setting methods of road load affected fuel consumption slightly, with variations of less than 4%. Compared to the type-approval value, laboratory and on-road fuel consumption of the tested LDGV over the CLTC-P increased by 9% and 34% under the reference condition(i.e., air conditioning off, automatic stop and start(STT) on and two passengers). On-road measurement results indicated that fuel consumption under the low-speed phase of the CLTC-P increased by 12% due to the STT off, although only a 4% increase on average over the entire cycle. More fuel consumption increases(52%) were attributed to air conditioning usage and full passenger capacity. Strong correlations(R2> 0.9) between relative fuel consumption and average speed were also identified. Under traffic congestion(average speed below 25 km/hr), fuel consumption was highly sensitive to changes in vehicle speed. Thus,we suggest that real-world driving conditions cannot be ignored when evaluating the fuel economy and GHGs reduction of LDGVs.

Trends in particulate matter and its chemical compositions in China from 2013–2017

Accurate determination of the atmospheric particulate matter mass concentration and chemical composition is helpful in exploring the causes and sources of atmospheric enthalpy pollution and in evaluating the rationality of environmental air quality control strategies.Based on the sampling and chemical composition data of PM2.5 in different key regions of China in the CARE-China observation network,this research analyzes the environmental air quality data released by the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre during the studied period to determine the changes in the particulate matter mass concentration in key regions and the evolution of the corresponding chemical compositions during the implementation of the Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Air Pollution from 2013-2017.The results show the following.(1)The particulate matter mass concentration in China showed a significant downward trend;however,the PM2.5 annual mass concentration in 64%of cities exceeds the New Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standard(CAAQS)GradeⅡ(GB3095-2012).The region to the east of the Taihang Mountains,the Fenhe and Weihe River Plain and the Urumqi-Changji regions in Xinjiang,all have PM2.5 concentration loading that is still high,and heavy haze pollution occurred frequently in the autumn and winter.(2)During the heavy pollution in the autumn and winter,the concentrations of sulfate and organic components decreased significantly.The mean SO42-concentration in PM2.5 decreased by 76%,12%,81%and 38%in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei(BTH),the Pearl River Delta(PRD),the Sichuan-Chongqing region(SC)and the Fenhe and Weihe River Plain,respectively.The mean organic matter(OM)concentration decreased by 70%,44%,48%and 31%,respectively,and the mean concentration of NH4+decreased by 68%,1.6%,38%and 25%,respectively.The mean elemental carbon(EC)concentration decreased by 84%and 20%in BTH and SC,respectively,and it increased by 61%and 11%in the PRD and Fenhe and Weihe River Plain,respectively.The mean concentration of mineral and unresolved chemical components(MI)dropped by 70%,24%and 13%in BTH,the PRD and the Fenhe and Weihe River Plain,respectively.The change in the PM2.5 chemical composition is consistent with the decrease of the PM2.5mass concentration.(3)In 2015,the mean OM concentration contributions to fine particles and coarse particles were 13-46%and 46-57%,respectively,and the mean MI concentration contributions to fine particles and coarse and particles were 31-60%and 39-73%,respectively;these values are lower than the 2013 values from the key regions,which is the most important factor behind the decrease of the particulate matter mass concentration.From 2013 to 2015,among the chemical components of different particle size fractions,the peak value of the coarse particle size fraction decreased significantly,and the fine particle size fractions of SO42-,NO3-,and NH4+decreased with the decrease of the particulate matter mass concentration in different particle size fractions.The fine-particle size peaks of SO42-,NO3-and NH4+shifted from 0.65-1.1μm to the finer size range of0.43-0.65μm during the same time frame.

Air quality management in China:Issues,challenges,and options

This article analyzed the control progress and current status of air quality,identified the major air pollution issues and challenges in future,proposed the long-term air pollution control targets,and suggested the options for better air quality in China.With the continuing growth of economy in the next 10–15 years,China will face a more severe situation of energy consumption,electricity generation and vehicle population leading to increase in multiple pollutant emissions.Controlling regional air pollution especially fine particles and ozone,as well as lowering carbon emissions from fossil fuel consumption will be a big challenge for the country.To protect public health and the eco-system,the ambient air quality in all Chinese cities shall attain the national ambient air quality standards （NAAQS） and ambient air quality guideline values set by the World Health Organization （WHO）.To achieve the air quality targets,the emissions of SO 2,NOx,PM 10,and volatile organic compounds （VOC） should decrease by 60%,40%,50%,and 40%,respectively,on the basis of that in 2005.A comprehensive control policy focusing on multiple pollutants and emission sources at both the local and regional levels was proposed to mitigate the regional air pollution issue in China.The options include development of clean energy resources,promotion of clean and efficient coal use,enhancement of vehicle pollution control,implementation of synchronous control of multiple pollutants including SO 2,NOx,VOC,and PM emissions,joint prevention and control of regional air pollution,and application of climate friendly air pollution control measures.

Rapid improvement of PM2.5 pollution and associated health benefits in China during 2013–2017

Exposure to fine particulate matter(PM2.5)is known to harm public health.In China,after implementation of aggressive emissions control measures under the Action Plan of Air Pollution Prevention and Control(2013-2017),air quality has significantly improved.In this work,we investigated changes in PM2.5 exposure and the associated health impacts in China for the period 2013-2017.We used an optimal estimator of PM2.5 combining in-situ observations,satellite measurements,and simulations from a chemical transport model to derive the spatial and temporal variations in PM2.5 exposure,and then used welldeveloped exposure-response functions to estimate the premature deaths attributable to PM2.5 exposure.We found that national population-weighed annual mean PM2.5 concentrations decreased from 67.4μgm-3 in 2013 to 45.5μgm-3 in 2017(32%reduction).This rapid decrease in PM2.5 pollution led to a 14%reduction in premature deaths due to long-term exposure.We estimated that,during 2013-2017,the premature deaths attributable to long-term PM2.5 exposure decreased from 1.2 million(95%CI:1.0,1.3;fraction of total mortality:13%)in 2013 to 1.0 million(95%CI:0.9,1.2;10%)in 2017.Despite the rapid decrease in annual mean PM2.5 concentrations,health benefits associated with reduced long-term exposure were limited,because for many cities,the PM2.5 levels remain at the portion where the exposure-response function is less steeper than that at the lowconcentration end.We also found that the deaths associated with acute exposure decreased by 61%during 2013-2017 due to rapid reduction in the number of heavily polluted days.Our results confirm that clean air policies in China have mitigated the air pollution crisis;however,continuous emissions reduction efforts are required to protect citizens from air pollution.

A review of atmospheric mercury emissions, pollution and control in China

作为一种全球污染物质，水银在环境和人的健康上有重要影响。在中国的大气的水银排出物，污染和控制的当前的国家包括地在这份报纸被考察。与人为的水银排出物的大约 500800 t，中国贡献 25%40% 到全球水银排出物。在中国的主导的水银排放来源是煤燃烧，熔炼的非铁的金属，水泥生产和钢生产。从在中国的生来的来源的水银排出物等价于人为的水银排出物。在中国的大气的水银集中是乘诺思半球的背景水平的大约 210。在在中国的遥远的区域的水银免职流动通常在 1050 g 的范围吗？

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.

Economic analysis of atmospheric mercury emission control for coal-fired power plants in China

Coal combustion and mercury pollution are closely linked, and this relationship is particularly relevant in China, the world＇s largest coal consumer. This paper begins with a summary of recent China-specific studies on mercury removal by air pollution control technologies and then provides an economic analysis of mercury abatement from these emission control technologies at coal-fired power plants in China. This includes a cost-effectiveness analysis at the enterprise and sector level in China using 2010 as a baseline and projecting out to 2020 and2030. Of the control technologies evaluated, the most cost-effective is a fabric filter installed upstream of the wet flue gas desulfurization system（FF ＋ WFGD）. Halogen injection（HI） is also a cost-effective mercury-specific control strategy, although it has not yet reached commercial maturity. The sector-level analysis shows that 193 tons of mercury was removed in 2010 in China＇s coal-fired power sector, with annualized mercury emission control costs of 2.7 billion Chinese Yuan. Under a projected 2030 Emission Control（EC） scenario with stringent mercury limits compared to Business As Usual（BAU） scenario, the increase of selective catalytic reduction systems（SCR） and the use of HI could contribute to 39 tons of mercury removal at a cost of 3.8 billion CNY. The economic analysis presented in this paper offers insights on air pollution control technologies and practices for enhancing atmospheric mercury control that can aid decision-making in policy design and private-sector investments.

Vehicular volatile organic compounds losses due to refueling and diurnal process in China: 2010–2050

Volatile organic compounds（VOCs） are crucial to control air pollution in major Chinese cities since VOCs are the dominant factor influencing ambient ozone level, and also an important precursor of secondary organic aerosols. Vehicular evaporative emissions have become a major and growing source of VOC emissions in China. This study consists of lab tests, technology evaluation, emissions modeling, policy projections and cost-benefit analysis to draw a roadmap for China for controlling vehicular evaporative emissions. The analysis suggests that evaporative VOC emissions from China＇s light-duty gasoline vehicles were approximately 185,000 ton in 2010 and would peak at 1,200,000 ton in 2040 without control. The current control strategy implemented in China, as shown in business as usual（BAU） scenario, will barely reduce the long-term growth in emissions. Even if Stage II gasoline station vapor control policies were extended national wide（BAU ＋ extended Stage II）, there would still be over 400,000 ton fuel loss in 2050. In contrast, the implementation of on-board refueling vapor recovery（ORVR） on new cars could reduce 97.5% of evaporative VOCs by 2050（BAU ＋ ORVR/BAU ＋ delayed ORVR）. According to the results, a combined Stage II and ORVR program is a comprehensive solution that provides both short-term and long-term benefits. The net cost to achieve the optimal total evaporative VOC control is approximately 62 billion CNY in 2025 and 149 billion CNY in 2050.

Trends of chemical speciation profiles of anthropogenic volatile organic compounds emissions in China, 2005-2020

This study estimates the detailed chemical profiles of China＇s anthropogenic volatile organic com- pounds （VOCs） emissions for the period of 2005-2020. The chemical profiles of VOCs for seven activity sectors are calculated, based on which the Photochemical Ozone Creation Potential （POCP） of VOCs for these sectors is evaluated. At the national level, the VOCs species emitted in 2005 include alkanes, alkenes and alkynes, aromatic compounds, alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, esters, ethers and halocarbons, accounting for 26.4wt.%, 29.2wt.%, 21.3 wt.%, 4.7 wt.%, 5.4 wt.%, 1.7 wt.%, 2.1 wt.%, 0.7 wt. % and 2.2wt.% of total emissions, respectively. And during 2005-2020, their mass proportions would respec- tively grow or decrease by - 34.7%, -48.6%, 108.5%, 6.9%, -32.7%, 7.3%, 65.3%, 100.5%, and 55.4%. This change would bring about a 13% reduction of POCP for national VOCs emissions in the future. Thus, although the national VOCs emissions are expected to increase by 33% over the whole period, its ozone formation potential is estimated to rise only by 14%. Large discrepancies are found in VOCs speciation emissions among provinces. Compared to western provinces, the eastern provinces with a more developed economy would emit unsaturated hydrocarbons and benzene with lower mix ratios, and aromatic compounds except benzene, oxidized hydrocar- bons and halocarbons with higher mix ratios. Such differences lead to lower POCP of VOCs emitted in eastern provinces, and higher POCP of VOCs emitted in western provinces. However, due to the large VOCs emissions from Chinese eastern region, the ozone forma- tion potential of VOCs emission in eastern provinces would be much higher than those in western provinces by about 156%-235%.

民用固体燃料燃烧超细颗粒物排放及其潜在健康影响

用于民用炊事与取暖的固体燃料燃烧过程排放大量的细颗粒物(PM2.5),是造成大气及室内空气污染的主要污染源之一,尤其会给室内人员带来较大的健康风险.越来越多的研究表明,民用固体燃料燃烧过程中产生的细颗粒物从数浓度角度主要以超细颗粒物(PM0.1)为主.然而,目前民用固体燃料燃烧产生的超细颗粒物及其潜在健康影响尚未受到足够的重视,其排放与健康风险的评估一般包含在PM2.5质量浓度评价中.本文简要分析了目前针对民用固体燃料燃烧中超细颗粒物排放的研究进展,包括燃烧过程中超细颗粒物的形成机制及排放特征.此外,本文还讨论了民用固体燃料燃烧导致的室内超细颗粒物污染引发的潜在健康影响,阐述了当前民用固体燃料燃烧的颗粒物污染与健康风险评价中仅使用PM2.5质量浓度作为评价指标而未考虑超细颗粒物数浓度可能带来的问题,并在最后探讨了民用固体燃料燃烧超细颗粒物排放的控制与管理思路.

Role of ammonia in forming secondary aerosols from gasoline vehicle exhaust

Ammonia(NH3) plays vital roles in new particle formation and atmospheric chemistry. Although previous studies have revealed that it also influences the formation of secondary organic aerosols(SOA) from ozonolysis of biogenic and anthropogenic volatile organic compounds(VOCs), the influence of NH3 on particle formation from complex mixtures such as vehicle exhausts is still poorly understood. Here we directly introduced gasoline vehicles exhausts(GVE) into a smog chamber with NH3 absorbed by denuders to examine the role of NH3 in particle formation from GVE. We found that removing NH3 from GVE would greatly suppress the formation and growth of particles. Adding NH3 into the reactor after 3 h photo-oxidation of GVE, the particle number concentration and mass concentrations jumped explosively to much higher levels, indicating that the numbers and mass of particles might be enhanced when aged vehicle exhausts are transported to rural areas and mixed with NH3-rich plumes. We also found that the presence of NH3 had no significant influence on SOA formation from GVE. Very similar oxygen to carbon(O:C) and hydrogen to carbon(H:C) ratios resolved by aerosol mass spectrometer with and without NH3 indicated that the presence of NH3 also had no impact on the average carbon oxidation state of SOA from GVE.

Design and operational considerations for selective catalytic reduction technologies at coal-fired boilers

By the end of 2010, China had approximately 650 GW of coal-fired electric generating capacity producing almost 75% of the country＇s total electricity generation. As a result of the heavy reliance on coal for electricity generation, emissions of air pollutants, such as nitrogen oxides （NOx）, are increasing. To address these growing emissions, the Ministry of Environmental Protection （MEP） has introduced new NOx emission control policies to encourage the installation of selective catalytic reduction （SCR） technologies on a large number of coalfired electric power plants. There is, however, limited experience with SCR in China. It is therefore useful to explore the lessons from the use of SCR technologies in other countries. This paper provides an overview of SCR technology performance at coal-fired electric power plants demonstrating emission removal rates between 65% and 92%. It also reviews the design and operational challenges that, if not addressed, can reduce the reliability, performance, and cost-effectiveness of SCR technologies. These challenges include heterogeneous flue gas conditions, catalyst degradation, ammonia slip, sulfur trioxide （SO3） formation, and fouling and corrosion of plant equipment. As China and the rest of the world work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, carbon dioxide （CO2） emissions from parasitic load and urea-to-ammonia conversion may also become more important. If these challenges are properly addressed, SCR can reliably and effectively remove up to 90% of NOx emissions at coal-fired power plants.

Mercury flows in large-scale gold production and implications for Hg pollution control

Large-scale gold production（LSGP） is one of the five convention-related atmospheric mercury（Hg） emission sources in the Minamata Convention on Mercury. However, field experiments on Hg flows of the whole process of LSGP are limited. To identify the atmospheric Hg emission points and understand Hg emission characteristics of LSGP, Hg flows in two gold smelters were studied. Overall atmospheric Hg emissions accounted for 10%–17% of total Hg outputs and the Hg emission factors for all processes were 7.6–9.6 kg/ton. There were three dominant atmospheric Hg emission points in the studied gold smelters, including the exhaust gas of the roasting process, exhaust gas from the environmental fog collection stack and exhaust gas from the converter of the refining process. Atmospheric Hg emissions from the roasting process only accounted for 16%–29% of total emissions and the rest were emitted from the refining process. The overall Hg speciation profile（gaseous elemental Hg/gaseous oxidized Hg/particulate-bound Hg） for LSGP was 34.1/57.1/8.8. The dominant Hg output byproducts included waste acid, sulfuric acid and cyanide leaching residue. Total Hg outputs from these three byproducts were 80% in smelter A and 84% in smelter B. Our study indicated that previous atmospheric Hg emissions from large-scale gold production might have been overestimated.Hg emission control in LSGP is not especially urgent in China compared to other significant emission sources（e.g., cement plants）. Instead, LSGP is a potential Hg release source due to the high Hg output proportions to acid and sludge.