Abstract
Daily PM2.5 samples were collected at Shangdianzi (SDZ) regional site in Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region in 2015. Samples were subject to chemical analysis for organic carbon (OC), elemental carbon (EC), and major water-soluble inorganic ions. The annual average PM2.5 mass concentration was 53 ± 36 μg·m−3 with the highest seasonal average concentration in spring and the lowest in summer. Water-soluble inorganic ions and carbonaceous aerosols accounted for 34% ± 15% and 33% ± 9%, respectively, of PM2.5 mass on annual average. The excellent, good, lightly polluted, moderately polluted, and heavily polluted days based on the Air Quality Index (AQI) of PM2.5 accounted for 40%, 42%, 11%, 4%, and 3%, respectively, of the year. The sum of the average concentration of sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA) increased from 4.2 ± 2.9 μg·m−3 during excellent days to 85.9 ± 22.4 μg·m−3 during heavily polluted days, and their contributions to PM2.5 increased from 15% ± 8% to 49% ± 10% accordingly. In contrast, the average concentration of carbonaceous aerosols increased from 9.2 ± 2.8 μg·m−3 to 51.2 ± 14.1 μg·m−3, and their contributions to PM2.5 decreased from 34% ± 6% to 29% ± 7%. Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis revealed that the major sources for high PM2.5 and its dominant chemical components were within the area mainly covering Shandong, Henan, and Hebei provinces. Regional pollutant transport from Shanxi province and Inner Mongolia autonomous region located in the west direction of SDZ was also important during the heating season.
Highlights
High levels of fine particles (PM2.5, with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) have been a common phenomenon in recent decades in China [1]
The annual average PM2.5 in BTH decreased from 98 μg·m−3 in 2013 to 76 μg·m−3 in 2015, suggesting a similar temporal trend between SDZ and BTH
PM2.5 pollution seemed to have alleviated in BTH in recent years, as seen from the 26% decrease in the annual average PM2.5 and 34% decrease in the sum of SNA and carbonaceous aerosols at SDZ
Summary
High levels of fine particles (PM2.5 , with an aerodynamic diameter ≤2.5 μm) have been a common phenomenon in recent decades in China [1]. Chinese cities reached up to 72 μg·m−3 in 2013, which was two times of the National Ambient Air. Quality Standards (NAAQS) for annual PM2.5 (35 μg·m−3 ). The annual average PM2.5 exceeded the NAAQS in about 96% of the 74 cities. Among these cities, 13 are in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH). Region, which had an annual average PM2.5 of 106 μg·m−3 , much higher than that in Yangtze River. Delta (YRD) region (25 cities with an average of 67 μg·m−3 ) and Pearl River Delta (PRD) region Public Health 2016, 13, 1202; doi:10.3390/ijerph13121202 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph
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