A Review of Atmospheric Chemistry Research in China:Photochemical Smog, Haze Pollution,and Gas-Aerosol Interactions

In this paper we present a review of atmospheric chemistry research in China over the period 2006-2010, focusing on tropospheric ozone, aerosol chemistry, and the interactions between trace gases and aerosols in the polluted areas of China. Over the past decade, China has suffered severe photochemical smog and haze pollution, especially in North China, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta. Much scientific work on atmospheric chemistry and physics has been done to address this large-scale, complex environmental problem. Intensive field experiments, satellite data analyses, and model simulations have shown that air pollution is significantly changing the chemical and physical characters of the natural atmosphere over these parts of China. In addition to strong emissions of primary pollutants, photochemical and heterogeneous reactions play key roles in the formation of complex pollution. More in-depth research is recommended to reveal the formation mechanism of photochemical smog and haze pollution and their climatic effects at the urban, regional, and global scales.

Potential Oxidative Stress in the Bodies of Electric Arc Welding Operators: Effect of Photochemical Smog

Objective To investigate whether photochemical smog emitted during the process of electric arc welding might cause oxidative stress and potential oxidative damage in the bodies of welding operators. Methods Seventy electric arc welding operators (WOs) and 70 healthy volunteers (HVs) were enrolled in a randomized controlled study design, in which the levels of vitamin C (VC) and vitamin E (VE) in plasma as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and the level of lipoperoxide (LPO) in erythrocytes were determined by spectrophotometry. Results Compared with the average values of the above experimental parameters in the HVs group, the average values of VC and VE in plasma as well as those of SOD, CAT and GPX in erythrocytes in the WOs group were significantly decreased (P<0.005-0.0001), while the average value of LPO in erythrocytes in the WOs group was significantly increased (P<0.0001). The findings from the partial correlation analysis on the controlling of age suggested that with a prolonged duration of exposure to photochemical smog the values of VC, VE, SOD, and GPX, except for CAT, in the WOs were decreased gradually (P<0.05-0.005), the value of LPO in the WOs was increased gradually (P<0.001), and that with the ozone dose increased in the air in each worksite VC, VE, SOD, CAT and GPX decreased (P<0.005-0.001), but LPO increased (P<0.001). The findings from the reliability analysis for the VC, VE, SOD, CAT, GPX, and LPO values which were used to reflect oxidative stress and potential oxidative damage in the WOs showed that the reliability coefficients?alpha (6 items) was 0.8021, P<0.0001, and that the standardized item alpha was 0.9577, P<0.0001. Conclusion Findings in the present study suggest that there exists an oxidative stress induced by long-term exposure to photochemical smog in the bodies of WOs, thereby causing potential oxidative and lipoperoxidative damages in their bodies.

Review of the influencing factors of secondary organic aerosol formation and aging mechanism based on photochemical smog chamber simulation methods

The formation and aging mechanism of secondary organic aerosol(SOA)and its influencing factors have attracted increasing attention in recent years because of their effects on climate change,atmospheric quality and human health.However,there are still large errors between air quality model simulation results and field observations.The currently undetected components during the formation and aging of SOA due to the limitation of current monitoring techniques and the interactions among multiple SOA formation influencing factors might be the main reasons for the differences.In this paper,we present a detailed review of the complex dynamic physical and chemical processes and the corresponding influencing factors involved in SOA formation and aging.And all these results were mainly based the studies of photochemical smog chamber simulation.Although the properties of precursor volatile organic compounds(VOCs),oxidants(such as OH radicals),and atmospheric environmental factors(such as NOx,SO2,NH3,light intensity,temperature,humidity and seed aerosols)jointly influence the products and yield of SOA,the nucleation and vapor pressure of these products were found to be the most fundamental aspects when interpreting the dynamics of the SOA formation and aging process.The development of techniques for measuring intermediate species in SOA generation processes and the study of SOA generation and aging mechanism in complex systems should be important topics of future SOA research.

Construction and Characterization of an Atmospheric Simulation Smog Chamber

Currently, air pollution in Beijing has become a complex problem with two types of source pollutants： coal smoke and photochemical smog. Furthermore the maximum hourly mean concentration of O3 increases continuously, especially in the summer. In order to simulate the photochemical reaction, develop an air quality simulation model and further improve the air quality of Beijing, a precisely temperature-controlled, indoor, smog chamber facility was designed and constructed at Tsinghua University. Characterization experiments have been carried out to acquire the basic parameters of the smog chamber, such as the wall loss rates of NO2, NO, O3, C3H6 and particulate matter （PM）, the intensity of ultraviolet （UV） light in the chamber, the reactivity of the purified air and the reproducibility of the experimental results. The results indicate that the facility performs up to specifications, and can meet the demands required for simulating the photochemical reaction. The effect of high primary contaminated PM on the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosol （SOA） is under investigation.

Photochemical pollution in Lanzhou, China - A case study

The photochemical air pollution in Xigu district of Lanshou city, Gansu Province was studied during a period of 1981-1984. The extremely high NMHC/NOx ratio and ozone level elevation after rain have been noticed. A series of outdoor and indoor reaction chamber simulation experiments conducted in order to understand the specific conditions. The ozone formation under NMHC/NOx condition and the possible reason for high ozone concentration after rain are discussed.

Traffic emission and its impact on air quality in Guangzhou area

A comprehensive field measurement was set up in Guangzhou City of China and the key was placed on NO\-x and O\-3 pollution. The results indicated that the average driving speed of vehicle was only 14 km/h in downtown with high frequency of idle and acceleration. Upward fluxes of CO and NO were observed in Dongfeng Street. NO\-x annual mean concentration in urban area increased year by year, and NO\-x was identified as the most important pollutant since 1995. Photochemical smog pollution was serious in general, spatial and seasonal distribution of O\-3 was observed. O\-3 concentration was kept in a high level in autumn, and its formation was restrained in summer due to frequent thunderstorm and high humidity. The numerical simulation showed the average concentration and maximum concentration of O\-3 would increase 60%—100% if vehicular emission increased 100% in Guangzhou.

RO_(x) Budgets and O_(3) Formation during Summertime at Xianghe Suburban Site in the North China Plain

Photochemical smog characterized by high concentrations of ozone(O_(3)) is a serious air pollution issue in the North China Plain(NCP)region,especially in summer and autumn.For this study,measurements of O_(3),nitrogen oxides(NO_(x)),volatile organic compounds(VOCs),carbon monoxide(CO),nitrous acid(HONO),and a number of key physical parameters were taken at a suburban site,Xianghe,in the NCP region during the summer of 2018 in order to better understand the photochemical processes leading to O_(3)formation and find an optimal way to control O_(3)pollution.Here,the radical chemistry and O_(3)photochemical budget based on measurement data from 1−23 July using a chemical box model is investigated.The daytime(0600−1800 LST)average production rate of the primary radicals referred to as RO_(x)(OH+HO2+RO2)is 3.9 ppbv h−1.HONO photolysis is the largest primary RO_(x)source(41%).Reaction of NO2+OH is the largest contributor to radical termination(41%),followed by reactions of RO2+NO2(26%).The average diurnal maximum O_(3)production and loss rates are 32.9 ppbv h−1 and 4.3 ppbv h−1,respectively.Sensitivity tests without the HONO constraint lead to decreases in daytime average primary RO_(x)production by 55%and O_(3)photochemical production by 42%,highlighting the importance of accurate HONO measurements when quantifying the RO_(x)budget and O_(3)photochemical production.Considering heterogeneous reactions of trace gases and radicals on aerosols,aerosol uptake of HO2 contributes 11%to RO_(x)sink,and the daytime average O_(3)photochemical production decreases by 14%.The O_(3)-NO_(x)-VOCs sensitivity shows that the O_(3)production at Xianghe during the investigation period is mainly controlled by VOCs.

Continuous and comprehensive atmospheric observations in Beijing:a station to understand the complex urban atmospheric environment

Due to profound impact on climate and human health,air quality has attracted attention from all levels of the civil society.The key step in the provision of required tools for the society to tackle the complex air quality problem is to characterize it in a comprehensive manner with a long-term perspective.Here,we describe a continuous and comprehensive observation station and its accompanying state-ofthe-art instrumentation that was established to investigate the complex urban atmospheric environment in a rapidly developing Chinese Megacity.The station,located in downtown Beijing,aims to study air quality by identifying the major atmospheric pollutants and key processes determining their formation and loss mechanisms.A few hundreds of parameters are continuously measured with the state-of-the-art instruments,including trace gas concentrations,aerosol particle size distributions,and mass concentrations,covering aerosol particle chemical composition from molecules to micrometer-sized aerosol particles.This produced long-term,comprehensive big data with around 1�10^(11)bytes per year.In this paper,we provide an overview on the facilities of the station,the instrumentation used,the workflow of continuous observations and examples of results from 2018 to 2019 and a basis for establishing a modern long-term,comprehensive atmospheric urban observation station in other megacities.

Biogenic Emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds by Urban Forests

All plants emit a wide range of volatile compounds, the so-called biogenic volatile organic compounds(BVOC). BVOC emissions have received increased scientific attention in the last two decades because theymay profoundly influence the chemical and physical properties of the atmosphere, and may modulate planttolerance to heat, pollutants, oxidative stress and abiotic stresses, and affect plant-plant and plant-insectinteractions. Urban forestry may have a high impact on atmospheric composition, air quality, environment,and quality of life in urban areas. However, few studies have been carried out where the emission of BVOCcould have important consequence for the quality of air and contribute to pollution episodes. A screening ofBVOC emission by the mixed stand constituting urban forests is therefore required if emissions are to bereliably predicted. Monitoring the emission rates simultaneously with measurements of air quality, plantphysiology and micrometeorology on selected urban forests, will allow detailed quantitative information onthe inventory of BVOC emissions by urban vegetation to be compiled. This information will make itpossible to propose an innovative management of urban vegetation in cities characterised by heavy emissionsof anthropogenic pollutants, aiming at the abatement of BVOC emissions through the introduction or selectionof non-BVOC emitting species in urban areas subjected to pollution episodes and in the new afforestationareas covering peri-urban parks, green belts and green corridors between peri-urban rural areas and theconurbations.