Local and regional contributions to fine particulate matter in Beijing during heavy haze episodes

Yangjun Wang; Shengwei Bao; Shuxiao Wang; Yongtao Hu; Xiang Shi; Jiandong Wang; Bin Zhao; Jingkun Jiang; Mei Zheng; Minghong Wu; Armistead G Russell; Yuhang Wang; Jiming Hao

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.127

Local and regional contributions to fine particulate matter in Beijing during heavy haze episodes

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Feb 15:580:283-296. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.127. Epub 2016 Dec 23.

Authors

Yangjun Wang¹, Shengwei Bao¹, Shuxiao Wang², Yongtao Hu³, Xiang Shi¹, Jiandong Wang⁴, Bin Zhao⁴, Jingkun Jiang⁴, Mei Zheng⁵, Minghong Wu¹, Armistead G Russell³, Yuhang Wang⁶, Jiming Hao⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China.
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China. Electronic address: shxwang@tsinghua.edu.cn.
³ School of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Institute of Georgia Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.
⁴ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
⁵ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100084, China.
⁶ School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Institute of Georgia Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332, USA.

PMID: 28024753
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.12.127

Abstract

In order to alleviate extreme haze pollution, understanding the origin of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is crucial. In this study, we applied Particulate Matter Source Apportionment Technology (PSAT) in CAMx (Comprehensive Air Quality Model with Extensions) to quantify the impacts of emissions from different regions on PM_2.5 concentrations in Beijing for haze episodes during January 6-23, 2013. Emission inventory was developed by Tsinghua University. Evolution of local and Regional contributions during local and non-local dominated haze episodes were discussed, separately. In the meanwhile, average contribution of other every city in Jing-Jin-Ji region to PM_2.5 concentrations larger than 75μgm^-3 in Beijing urban for each range of local contribution percent was analyzed. The results indicate that local emissions contributed 83.6% of PM_2.5 at the urban center of Beijing, while regional transport from surrounding cities and parts of Shandong, Henan and Anhui provinces contributed 9.4%; long-range transport contributed the remaining 7.0% mainly from areas >750km away to the south of Beijing during this study period. Compared to non-local-dominated haze episodes, local-dominated heavy haze episodes in Beijing were easily resulted from unfavorable meteorological conditions with much lower PBL and wind velocity. Furthermore, local contribution is more easily to cause a sharp increase or sharp reduction of PM_2.5 concentration in central Beijing, reflecting that Beijing local has much stronger potential to form extremely heavy haze episodes. The results indicated that controlling local emissions is a much more important measure to alleviate the extreme haze episodes in Beijing, like that on the night of Jan 12, 2013. Furthermore, emission control in Jing-Jin-Ji region, especially in Tangshan, Tianjin, Baoding, Langfang, Shijiazhuang and Cangzhou, as well as Henan and Shandong province, are important to reduce the PM_2.5 concentrations and the occurrence of haze episodes in Beijing.

Keywords: Beijing; CAMx; PM(2.5); Source apportionment.