Abstract
Black carbon (BC) aerosols have a considerable impact on humans because they not only cause environmental pollution and reduce visibility but also harm human health. During the heating season in northern China, a large amount of coal is burned for heating, producing a large amount of BC. There are few studies on BC properties during the heating season. In this paper, BC is measured optically, so it is referred to as equivalent black carbon (EBC). This paper investigated EBC properties in depth during the heating and nonheating seasons of a typical urban environment in China with two years of EBC measurements. The results show that: (1) EBC aerosol concentrations during the heating season were significantly higher than those during the nonheating season. (2) The main sources of EBC aerosols throughout the year are liquid sources. During the heating season, solid sources (coal and biomass combustion) are dominant. (3) The proportion of brown carbon (BrC) produced by biomass energy during the heating season is greater than that during the nonheating season. (4) The resulting backward trajectory indicates that a large portion of the high EBC aerosol concentration sources originate from northern and northwestern China. Our results reveal that the characteristics and sources of EBC in the urban environment of northern China vary widely, suggesting that different measures should be taken to reduce BC aerosol concentrations during heating and nonheating seasons.
Highlights
Atmospheric aerosols are generally referred to as solid and liquid particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere, which constitute a crucial atmospheric component along with atmospheric molecules
The 880 nm band is commonly used to measure standard equivalent black carbon (EBC) concentrations, which could be defined as the output EBC concentrations as brown carbon absorption contributes little
We found that the EBC concentrations in Xuzhou during the heating season were significantly higher than those during the nonheating season, and the brown carbon content during the heating season was higher than that during the nonheating season
Summary
Atmospheric aerosols are generally referred to as solid and liquid particulate matter suspended in the atmosphere, which constitute a crucial atmospheric component along with atmospheric molecules. Aerosols play an important role in the environment and even global climate change by directly absorbing and scattering incident solar radiation. They can indirectly affect climate conditions by participating in the water cycle as condensation nuclei, thereby influencing precipitation. Among aerosol particles of different sizes, fine particulate matter can be inhaled into the respiratory system, increasing the possibility of respiratory diseases [1]. In terms of human health, the inhalation of black carbon aerosols has greatly increased the incidence of cancer and other diseases, endangering human health [5]. Considering that the surface of BC is porous, toxic materials may exist at the surface, causing BC to become poisonous and harmful [6]
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