Application of Mobile Monitoring to Study Characteristics of Air Pollution in Typical Areas of the Yangtze River Delta Eco-Green Integration Demonstration Zone, China

Abstract

Mobile observation improves the accuracy and coverage of environmental monitoring, and can locate and track pollution sources. We conducted mobile monitoring to obtain real-time atmospheric pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3) in typical areas, which included a country park and a tourist attraction featuring an ancient town in the Yangtze River Delta Eco-Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone (Demonstration Zone), China. Results show that the concentrations of the six key pollutants in the ancient town were usually higher than that in the country park, due to high intensity of anthropogenic emissions. Pollutants including PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and CO in the ancient town during weekends were higher than that during weekdays, whereas pollutants in the country park presented no difference during weekdays and weekends. Morphology analysis of individual particles by scanning electron microscopy detected abundant soot from fresh emissions and atmospheric aging in the two areas. Agricultural irrigation, powered by diesel combustion, was identified as an emission source in the country park. Open-air cooking, coal combustion for cooking and the frequent redecoration of stores were emission sources in the ancient town. Environmentally friendly agricultural irrigation ways and cleaner cooking fuels were suggested to further improve air quality in the Demonstration Zone.