Abstract
Background: Background sites are mainly affected by long-range-transported air pollutants, resulting in potential adverse effects on local atmospheric environments. A 4–5 year observational study was conducted to illustrate the air pollution profile at the Kanazawa University Wajima air monitoring station (KUWAMS), an ideal remote background site in Japan. Methods: Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the particulate phase and various air pollutants were continuously monitored for 4–5 years. Diagnostic ratios of PAHs and back-trajectory analysis were applied to trace the possible sources of the air pollutants collected at the sampling site. Results: The atmospheric concentration of PAHs in the atmosphere at the site decreased from 2014 to 2019, benefit from the predominant air pollution control policy in China and Japan. Common air pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ozone, methane (CH4), and non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) were detected in low concentrations from 2016 to 2019, while ozone (O3) and particulate matter (PM2.5, PM with a diameter less than 2.5 μm) were present in high levels that exceeded the Japanese standards. Most air pollutants peaked in spring and showed evident diurnal variations in spring and summer. Conclusions: This is the first study to clarify the atmospheric behaviors of multiple air pollutants at a background site in Japan. Significant external air pollutant impact and unneglectable air pollution were demonstrated at KUWAMS, indicating the importance of studying atmospheric pollution at remote sites.
Highlights
As a global problem, air pollution causes adverse effects in many parts of the world [1,2,3,4,5].According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 90% of the world’s population lives in locations with severely polluted air [6].Particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone (O3 ), sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) are listed as criteria pollutants for determination of the air quality indexes of many countriesInt
The yearly concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) decreased from 2014 to 2019 in the cold and warm period, indicating a reduction trend in China and Japan, which resulted from effective implementation of pollution control measures
Diagnostic ratios suggested that PAHs collected at Kanazawa University Wajima air monitoring station (KUWAMS) were generated by mixed sources containing coal and biomass burning, as well as vehicle emission
Summary
Air pollution causes adverse effects in many parts of the world [1,2,3,4,5].According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 90% of the world’s population lives in locations with severely polluted air [6].Particulate matter (PM), ground-level ozone (O3 ), sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), and nitrogen dioxide (NO2 ) are listed as criteria pollutants for determination of the air quality indexes of many countriesInt. Background sites are mainly affected by long-range-transported air pollutants, resulting in potential adverse effects on local atmospheric environments. A 4–5 year observational study was conducted to illustrate the air pollution profile at the Kanazawa University Wajima air monitoring station (KUWAMS), an ideal remote background site in Japan. Common air pollutants including sulfur dioxide (SO2 ), nitrogen oxides (NOx ), ozone, methane (CH4 ), and non-methane hydrocarbon (NMHC) were detected in low concentrations from 2016 to 2019, while ozone (O3 ) and particulate matter (PM2.5 , PM with a diameter less than 2.5 μm) were present in high levels that exceeded the Japanese standards. Conclusions: This is the first study to clarify the atmospheric behaviors of multiple air pollutants at a background site in Japan. Significant external air pollutant impact and unneglectable air pollution were demonstrated at KUWAMS, indicating the importance of studying atmospheric pollution at remote sites
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