Enhancement of secondary aerosol formation by reduced anthropogenic emissions during Spring Festival 2019 and enlightenment for regional PM2.5 control in Beijing

• Published in: Atmospheric chemistry and physics 2021-01, Vol.21 (2), p.915-926
• Main Authors: Wang, Yuying, Li, Zhanqing, Wang, Qiuyan, Jin, Xiaoai, Peng, Yan, Cribb, Maureen, Li, Yanan, Cheng, Yuan, Wu, Hao, Wu, Tong, Ren, Rongmin, Cai, Zhaoxin
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerosol formation; Aerosols; Air pollution; Air pollution measurements; Anthropogenic factors; Black carbon; Chemical reactions; Diameters; Emissions; Experiments; Festivals; Human influences; Nitrates; Nitrogen dioxide; Oxidation; Ozone; Particulate matter; Photochemical reactions; Photochemicals; Photochemistry; Physical properties; Pollution control; Regional analysis; Regional planning; Regions; Relative humidity; Secondary aerosols; Spring; Sulfate formation; Sulfates; Sulfur; Sulfur dioxide; Sulfur oxidation; Sulphur; Sulphur dioxide; Titration; Urban areas; Winter
• ISSN: 1680-7316; 1680-7324
• DOI: 10.5194/acp-21-915-2021

A comprehensive field experiment measuring aerosol chemical and physical properties at a suburban site in Beijing around the 2019 Spring Festival was carried out to investigate the impact of reduced anthropogenic emissions on aerosol formation. Sharply reduced sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations during the festival holiday resulted in an unexpected increase in the surface ozone (O3) concentration caused by the strong O3-titration phenomenon. Simultaneously, the reduced anthropogenic emissions resulted in massive decreases in particle number concentration at all sizes and the mass concentrations of organics and black carbon. However, the mass concentrations of inorganics (especially sulfate) decreased weakly. Detailed analyses of the sulfur oxidation ratio and the nitrogen oxidation ratio suggest that sulfate formation during the holiday could be promoted by enhanced nocturnal aqueous-phase chemical reactions between SO2 and O3 under moderate relative humidity (RH) conditions (40 % < RH < 80 %). Daytime photochemical reactions in winter in Beijing mainly controlled nitrate formation, which was enhanced a little during the holiday. A regional analysis of air pollution patterns shows that the enhanced formation of secondary aerosols occurred throughout the entire Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region during the holiday, partly offsetting the decrease in particle matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm. Our results highlight the necessary control of O3 formation to reduce secondary pollution in winter under current emission conditions.