Influence of marine vessel emissions on the atmospheric PM2.5 in Japan’s around the congested sea areas

Abstract

In recent years, PM2.5 concentrations in Japan have decreased as China’s measures against the emission of air pollutants were strengthened and the subsequent transport of air pollutants to Japan decreased. On the other hand, along the coast of the Seto inland sea in Japan, the PM2.5 concentration remains high. In this study, in order to evaluate the impact of air pollutants from marine vessels on PM2.5 along the coast of the Seto inland sea, PM2.5 was seasonally collected in the vicinity of a congested sea lane (Akashi Strait) in 2016 and 2017, and a receptor-source analysis was performed to determine the main components of the collected PM2.5. In Japan’s congested sea lane, the vanadium (V) concentration was very high and showed a strong correlation with the nickel (Ni) concentration. Also, the V/Ni ratio rose when the wind blew from the sea lane. Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) analysis clarified that the contributions from marine vessel emissions to PM2.5 at the current observation sites were 2.5–2.7 μg m−3 (17.3–21.4%), and the marine vessel emissions were the main source of PM2.5 along the coast of the Seto inland sea. Fuel oil regulations for marine vessels to be introduced in January 2020 are expected to improve the air quality of coastal areas.