Simulated Sensitivity of Ozone Generation to Precursors in Beijing during a High O_(3) Episode

This study uses the WRF-Chem model combined with the empirical kinetic modeling method(EKMA curve)to study the compound pollution event in Beijing that happened in 13−23 May 2017.Sensitivity tests are conducted to analyze ozone sensitivity to its precursors,and to develop emission reduction measures.The results suggest that the model can accurately simulate the compound pollution process of photochemistry and haze.When VOCs and NOx were reduced by the same proportion,the effect of O_(3)reduction at peak time was more obvious,and the effect during daytime was more significant than at night.The degree of change in ozone was peak time>daytime average.When reducing or increasing the ratio of precursors by 25%at the same time,the effect of reducing 25%VOCs on the average ozone concentration reduction was most significant.The degree of change in ozone decreased with increasing altitude,the location of the ozone maximum change shifted westward,and its range narrowed.As the altitude increases,the VOCs-limited zone decreases,VOCs sensitivity decreases,NOx sensitivity increases.The controlled area changed from near-surface VOCs-limited to high-altitude NOx-limited.Upon examining the EKMA curve,we have found that suburban and urban are sensitive to VOCs.The sensitivity tests indicate that when VOCs in suburban are reduced about 60%,the O_(3)-1h concentration could reach the standard,and when VOCs of the urban decreased by about 50%,the O_(3)-1h concentration could reach the standard.Thus,these findings could provide references for the control of compound air pollution in Beijing.

Ethylenediurea(EDU)effects on hybrid larch saplings exposed to ambient or elevated ozone over three growing seasons

Ground-level ozone(O_(3))pollution is a persistent environmental issue that can lead to adverse effects on trees and wood production,thus indicating a need for forestry interventions to mediate O_(3) effects.We treated hybrid larch(Larix gmelinii var.japonica×L.kaempferi)saplings grown in nutrient-poor soils with 0 or 400 mg L^(-1) water solutions of the antiozonant ethylenediurea(EDU0,EDU400)and exposed them to ambient O_(3)(AOZ;08:00-18:00≈30 nmol mol^(-1)) or elevated O_(3)(EOZ;08:00-18:00≈60 nmol mol^(-1))over three growing seasons.We found that EDU400 protected saplings against most effects of EOZ,which included extensive visible foliar injury,premature senescence,decreased photosynthetic pigment contents and altered balance between pigments,suppressed gas exchange and biomass production,and impaired leaf litter decay.While EOZ had limited effects on plant growth(suppressed stem diameter),it decreased the total number of buds per plant,an effect that was not observed in the first growing season.These results indicate that responses to EOZ might have implications to plant competitiveness,in the long term,as a result of decreased potential for vegetative growth.However,when buds were standardized per unit of branches biomass,EOZ significantly increased the number of buds per unit of biomass,suggesting a potentially increased investment to bud development,in an effort to enhance growth potential and competitiveness in the next growing season.EDU400 minimized most of these effects of EOZ,significantly enhancing plant health under O_(3)-induced stress.The effect of EDU was attributed mainly to a biochemical mode of action.Therefore,hybrid larch,which is superior to its parents,can be significantly improved by EDU under long-term elevated O_(3) exposure,providing a perspective for enhancing afforestation practices.

Ethylenediurea(EDU)spray effects on willows(Salix sachalinensis F.Schmid)grown in ambient or ozone-enriched air:implications for renewable biomass production

Ground-level ozone(O_(3)) is a widespread air pollutant causing extensive injuries in plants.However,its effects on perennial energy crops remain poorly under-stood due to technical difficulties in cultivating fast-growing shrubs for biomass production under O_(3) treatment on the field.Here we present the results of a two-year evaluation in the framework of which willow(Salix sachalinensis F.Schmid)shrubs were exposed to ambient(AOZ)or elevated(EOZ)O_(3) in two successive growing seasons(2014,2015)and treated with 0(EDU0)or 400 mg L^(−1)(EDU400)eth-ylenediurea spray in the second growing season.In 2014,EOZ altered the chemical composition of both top young and fallen leaves,and a novel mechanism of decreasing Mg in fallen leaves while highly enriching it in young top leaves was revealed in shrubs exposed to EOZ.In 2015,EDU400 alleviated EOZ-induced decreases in leaf fresh mass to dry mass ratio(FM/DM)and leaf mass per area(LMA).While EDU400 protected against EOZ-induced suppression of the maximum rate at which leaves can fix carbon(A_(max))in O_(3)-asymptomatic leaves,it did not alle-viate EOZ-induced suppression of the maximum rates of carboxylation(VCmax)and electron transport(J_(max))and chlorophylls a,b,and a+b in the same type of leaves.In O_(3)-symptomatic leaves,however,EDU400 alleviated EOZ-induced suppression of chlorophylls a and a+b,indicating different mode of action of EDU between O_(3)-asymptomatic and O_(3)-symptomatic leaves.Extensive herbivory occurred only in AOZ-exposed plants,leading to suppressed biomass production,while EOZ also led to a similar suppression of biomass production(EDU0×EOZ vs.EDU400×EOZ).In 2016,carry-over effects were also evaluated following cropping and transplantation into new ambient plots.Effects of EOZ in the preceding growing seasons extended to the third growing season in the form of suppressed ratoon biomass production,indicating carry-over effect of EOZ.Although EDU400 protected against EOZ-induced suppression of biomass production when applied in 2015,there was no carry-over effect of EDU in the absence of EDU treatment in 2016.The results of this study provide novel mechanistic understandings of O_(3)and EDU modes of action and can enlighten cultivation of willow as energy crop.

thylenediurea(EDU)effects on Japanese larch:an one growing season experiment with simulated regenerating communities and a four growing season application to individual saplings

Japanese larch(Larix kaempferi(Lamb.)Carr.)and its hybrid are economically important coniferous trees widely grown in the Northern Hemisphere.Ground-level ozone(O_(3))concentrations have increased since the preindustrial era,and research projects showed that Japanese larch is susceptible to elevated O_(3)exposures.Therefore,methodologies are needed to(1)protect Japanese larch against O_(3)damage and(2)conduct biomonitoring of O_(3)in Japanese larch forests and,thus,monitor O_(3)risks to Japanese larch.For the first time,this study evaluates whether the synthetic chemical ethylenediurea(EDU)can protect Japanese larch against O_(3)damage,in two independent experiments.In the first experiment,seedling communities,simulating natural regeneration,were treated with EDU(0,100,200,and 400 mg L^(-1))and exposed to either ambient or elevated O_(3)in a growing season.In the second experiment,individually-grown saplings were treated with EDU(0,200 and 400 mg L-1)and exposed to ambient O_(3)in two growing seasons and to elevated O_(3)in the succeeding two growing seasons.The two experiments revealed that EDU concentrations of 200-400 mg L^(-1)could protect Japanese larch seedling communities and individual saplings against O_(3)-induced inhibition of growth and productivity.However,EDU concentrations≤200 mg L^(-1)did offer only partial protection when seedling communities were coping with higher level of O_(3)-induced stress,and only 400 mg EDU L^(-1)fully protected communities under higher stress.Therefore,we conclude that among the concentrations tested the concentration offering maximum protection to Japanese larch plants under high competition and O_(3)-induced stress is that of 400 mg EDU L^(-1).The results of this study can provide a valuable resource of information for applied forestry in an O_(3)-polluted world.

Ambient volatile organic compounds at a receptor site in the Pearl River Delta region:Variations,source apportionment and effects on ozone formation

We present the continuously measurements of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)at a receptor site(Wan Qing Sha,WQS)in the Pearl River Delta(PRD)region from September to November of 2017.The average mixing ratios of total VOCs(TVOCs)was 36.3±27.9 ppbv with the dominant contribution from alkanes(55.5%),followed by aromatics(33.3%).The diurnal variation of TVOCs showed a strong photochemical consumption during daytime,resulting in the formation of ozone(O_(3)).Five VOC sources were resolved by the positive matrix factorization(PMF)model,including solvent usage(28.6%),liquid petroleum gas(LPG)usage(24.4%),vehicle exhaust(21.0%),industrial emissions(13.2%)and gasoline evaporation(12.9%).The regional transport air masses from the upwind cities of south China can result in the elevated concentrations of TVOCs.Low ratios of TVOCs/NO_(x)(1.53±0.88)suggested that the O_(3) formation regime at WQS site was VOC-limited,which also confirmed by a photochemical box model with the master chemical mechanism(PBM-MCM).Furthermore,the observation on high-O_(3) episode days revealed that frequent O_(3) outbreaks at WQS were mainly caused by the regional transport of anthropogenic VOCs especially for aromatics and the subsequent photochemical reactions.This study provides valuable information for policymakers to propose the effective control strategies on photochemical pollution in a regional perspective.