Abstract
Hourly average monitoring data for mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, PM10, and black carbon (BC) were measured in Wuhan from December 2013 to December 2014, which has a flourishing steel industry, to analyze the characteristics of PM and their relation to BC, using statistical methods. The results indicate that variations in the monthly average mass concentrations of PM have similar concave parabolic shapes, with the highest values occurring in January and the lowest values appearing in August or September. The correlation coefficient of the linear regression model between PM1 and PM2.5 is quite high, reaching 0.99. Furthermore, the proportion of PM1 contained within PM2.5 is roughly 90%, directly proving that ultrafine particles whose diameter less than 1 μm may be a primary component of PM2.5 in Wuhan. Additionally, better seasonal correlation between PM and BC occurs only in summer and autumn, due to multiple factors such as topography, temperature, and the atmosphere in winter and spring. Finally, analysis of the diurnal variation of PM and BC demonstrates that the traffic emissions during rush hour, exogenous pollutants, and the shallow PBLH with stagnant atmosphere, all contribute to the severe pollution of Wuhan in winter.
Highlights
Atmospheric particulates, with diameters ranging from 1 nm to 100 μm, play a crucial role in regional and global climate change, and public health, including respiratory problems and reduced lung function [1,2,3,4]
The peak values of monthly average mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 appear in January, reaching μg/m3, 146 μg/m3, and 202 μg/m3, respectively, while the trough values are in August and September, reaching 22 μg/m3, 25 μg/m3, and 27 μg/m3
The Grimm-180 measurements of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 and the Aethalometer measurements Black carbon (BC) were collected over one year from December 2013 to December 2014 in urban
Summary
Atmospheric particulates, with diameters ranging from 1 nm to 100 μm, play a crucial role in regional and global climate change, and public health, including respiratory problems and reduced lung function [1,2,3,4]. The physical and optical properties of particulate matter (PM) have been explored in the urban areas of China [9,10]. Most research on the characteristics of particulate matter is based on data gathered in the Sichuan Basin [11], the Yangtze River delta [12,13], and Northern China [14,15,16]. When considering the impact factors of PM, analysis of the chemical characteristics of ultrafine particles, such as inorganic ions, shows that inorganic water soluble ions constitute 48.9% of the PM1, while second species in PM1 are in the form of NH4NO3 and NH4HSO4 [17]. Based on the average monthly monitored data for PM, this study analyzes the characteristics of temporal distribution and correlations between PM1, PM2.5, and PM10. This paper selects two days in winter and uses them as an example to explore the key factors causing Wuhan’s severe pollution in winter
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