A Modeling Study of a Typical Winter PM2.5 Pollution Episode in a City in Eastern China

Lina Gao,Congbin Fu,Shengmao Hong,Renjian Zhang,Li Jiao,Zhiwei Han,Tijian Wang,Peng Yan

doi:10.4209/aaqr.2013.02.0054

Abstract

A PM2.5 pollution episode over Hangzhou, China during 8 to 16 December 2011 was simulated using the Models-3 Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ). Relative contributions from local and regional emission sources to the pollution event were also investigated through numerical sensitivity tests. Comparisons between simulations and measurements at six meteorological sites over the Yangtze River Delta Region (YRDR) and four air monitoring stations at Hangzhou were satisfactory. The temporal mean of the PM2.5 mass concentration in Hangzhou was lower than those at most areas of Jiangsu province and Shanghai during the episode. Process analysis of the four air monitoring stations at Hangzhou shows that emissions and aerosol processes contributed to the primary and secondary PM2.5 concentrations, with the mean accumulated rates of 1.2–25.5 µg/m 3 /hr and 0.5–1.2 µg/m 3 /hr, respectively. The process of advection also increased the PM2.5 mass concentration (1.2–3.4 µg/m 3 /hr). Diffusion was the dominant removal process at most air monitoring stations, with the removal rates of 4.1–20.7 µg/m 3 /hr. The dry (–3.0 to –3.6 µg/m 3 /hr) and wet deposition and heterogeneous processes (–0.4 to –1.8 µg/m 3 /hr) contributed to the loss of PM2.5. Process analysis also indicates that the maximum concentrations of PM2.5 that occurred during 13–14 December were mainly due to ineffective removal through diffusion. Results of the sensitivity tests suggest that non-Hangzhou pollutants made significant contributions to the PM2.5 pollution in Hangzhou, reaching up to 70% during the focal episode. Under certain meteorological conditions, pollutants transported from outside of Hangzhou not only increased the PM2.5 concentration, but also extended the pollution episode period in Hangzhou by one day. Nevertheless Hangzhou’s local emissions were not negligible, because they had important impacts on PM2.5 peak values.

Highlights

Tropospheric photochemical smog pollution and secondary fine particle pollution over urban agglomerations have been accompanied with quick economic expansion and urbanization in China (Li et al, 2011; Calvo et al, 2013)
Process analysis indicates that the maximum concentrations of PM2.5 that occurred during 13–14 December were mainly due to ineffective removal through diffusion
PM2.5 observation data was obtained from the four air quality monitoring stations located within the Hangzhou city (Fig. 3(b)) for the same time period as that for the meteorological data

Summary

Introduction

Tropospheric photochemical smog pollution and secondary fine particle pollution over urban agglomerations have been accompanied with quick economic expansion and urbanization in China (Li et al, 2011; Calvo et al, 2013). Mega urban agglomerations are major sources for aerosols and oxidants (Zhang et al, 2007). The effects of these radiatively active species on air quality and climate on regional to global scales have been widely examined and. The Yangtze River delta urban agglomeration is one of the rapid economic development regions in China. Hangzhou is a coastal city located in Yangtze River delta region with developing manufacture and transportation industries and growing energy consumption. Industrial coal consumption increased from 8.7 million tons in 2004 to 10.1 million tons in 2006 and the industrial fuel consumption rose from 95 to 163 thousand tons during the

Results

Discussion

Conclusion