Enhancements of Major Aerosol Components Due to Additional HONO Sources in the North China Plain and Implications for Visibility and Haze

The Weather Research and Forecasting/Chemistry model （WRF-Chem） was updated by including pho- toexeited nitrogen dioxide （NO2） molecules, heterogeneous reactions on aerosol surfaces, and direct emissions of nitrous acid （HONO） in the Carbon-Bond Mechanism Z （CBM-Z）. Five simulations were conducted to assess the effects of each new component and the three additional HONO sources on concentrations of major chemical components. We calculated percentage changes of major aerosol components and concentration ratios of gas NOy （NOyg） to NOy and particulate nitrates （NO3-） to NOy due to the three additional HONO sources in the North China Plain in August of 2007. Our results indicate that when the three additional HONO sources are included, WRF-Chem can reasonably reproduce the HONO observations. Heterogeneous reactions on aerosol surfaces are a key contributor to concentrations of HONO, nitrates （NO3-）, ammonium （NH＋）, and PM2.5 （concentration of particulate matter of ≤2.5 um in the ambient air） across the North China Plain. The three additional HONO sources produced a -5% -20% increase in monthly mean daytime concentration ratios of NO3-/NOy, a -15%- 52% increase in maximum hourly mean concentration ratios of NO3-/NOy, and a -10% -50% increase in monthly mean concentrations of NOx and NH＋ across large areas of the North China Plain. For the Bohai Bay, the largest hourly increases of NO3- exceeded 90%, of NH＋ exceeded 80%, and of PM2.5 exceeded 40%, due to the three additional HONO sources. This implies that the three additional HONO sources can aggravate regional air pollution, further impair visibility, and enhance the incidence of haze in some industrialized regions with high emissions of NOx and particulate matter under favorable meteorological conditions.

A Modeling Study of Seasonal Variation of Atmospheric Aerosols over East Asia

In this study, a regional air quality model system （RAQMS） was applied to investigate the spatial distributions and seasonal variations of atmospheric aerosols in 2006 over East Asia. Model validations demonstrated that RAQMS was able to reproduce the evolution processes of aerosol components reasonably well. Ground-level PM10 （particles with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm） concentrations were highest in spring and lowest in summer and were characterized by three maximum centers： the Taklimakan Desert （-1000 μg m^-3）, the Gobi Desert （-400 μg m^-3）, and the Huabei Plain （- 300 μg m^-3） of China. Vertically, high PM10 concentrations ranging from 100 μg m-3 to 250 μg m-3 occurred from the surface to an altitude of 6000 m at 30°-45°N in spring. In winter, the vertical gradient was so large that most aerosols were restricted in the boundary layer. Both sulfate and ammonium reached their highest concentrations in autumn, while nitrate reached its maximum level in winter. Black carbon and organic carbon aerosol concentrations reached maximums in winter. Soil dust were strongest in spring, whereas sea salt exerted the strongest influence on the coastal regions of eastern China in summer. The estimated burden of anthropogenic aerosols was largest in winter （1621 Gg） and smallest in summer （1040 Gg）. The sulfate burden accounted for -42% of the total anthropogenic aerosol burden. The dust burden was about twice the anthropogenic aerosol burden, implying the potentially important impacts of the natural aerosols on air quality and climate over East Asia.

Aerosol observation in Fengtai area,Beijing

Measurements of aerosol number concentration and particulate matter with diameter less than 10 μm （PM10） mass concentrations of urban background aerosols were performed in Fengtai area, Beijing in 2006. Black carbon （BC） was collected simultaneously from the ground and analyzed to determine the particulate matter components. To satisfy the interest in continuous monitoring of temporal and spatial distribution of aerosols, the relationship between extinction coefficient （visibility） measured by lidar remote sensing and the aerosol number concentration measured from the ground was derived by using statistical method. Vertical particle number concentration profile within the planetary boundary layer could be inversed through the lidar data as well as the statistical relation.

Chemical characterization of size-resolved aerosols in four seasons and hazy days in the megacity Beijing of China

Size-resolved aerosol samples were collected by MOUDI in four seasons in 2007 in Beijing. The PM10 and PM1.8mass concentrations were 166.0 ± 120.5 and 91.6 ± 69.7 μg/m^3, respectively,throughout the measurement, with seasonal variation： nearly two times higher in autumn than in summer and spring. Serious fine particle pollution occurred in winter with the PM1.8/PM10 ratio of 0.63, which was higher than other seasons. The size distribution of PM showed obvious seasonal and diurnal variation, with a smaller fine mode peak in spring and in the daytime. OM（organic matter = 1.6 × OC（organic carbon）） and SIA（secondary inorganic aerosol） were major components of fine particles, while OM, SIA and Ca^2＋were major components in coarse particles. Moreover, secondary components, mainly SOA（secondary organic aerosol） and SIA,accounted for 46%-96% of each size bin in fine particles, which meant that secondary pollution existed all year. Sulfates and nitrates, primarily in the form of（NH4）2SO4, NH4NO3, Ca SO4, Na2SO4 and K2SO4, calculated by the model ISORROPIA II, were major components of the solid phase in fine particles. The PM concentration and size distribution were similar in the four seasons on non-haze days, while large differences occurred on haze days, which indicated seasonal variation of PM concentration and size distribution were dominated by haze days. The SIA concentrations and fractions of nearly all size bins were higher on haze days than on non-haze days, which was attributed to heterogeneous aqueous reactions on haze days in the four seasons.