Measurement report: Characteristics of airborne black-carbon-containing particles during the 2021 summer COVID-19 lockdown in a typical Yangtze River Delta city, China

Abstract

Black-carbon-containing (BCc) particles are ubiquitous in ambient air, significantly contributing to particulate matter (PM) pollution. The unexpected outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the summer of 2021 prompted a localized and prolonged lockdown in Yangzhou, situated in the Yangtze River Delta, China. This lockdown led to significant alteration of local anthropogenic emissions, while neighboring cities continued regular operations, providing a unique opportunity for the investigation of BCc particle characteristics influenced by varying emission conditions. Single-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPA-MS) analysis revealed a notable decrease in the proportion of freshly emitted BCc particles during the lockdown (LD) period. However, PM2.5 concentrations remained relatively unchanged, with an observed increase in the proportion of aged BCc particles during LD compared to the period before the lockdown (BLD). The study also underscores the significant role of regional transport in PM2.5 pollution during the campaign. Moreover, reactive trace gases (e.g., NOx, SO2, and volatile organic compounds – VOCs) could form thick coatings on pre-existing particles, likely via enhanced heterogeneous hydrolysis under high relative humidity (RH), resulting in significant BCc particle growth (∼ 600 nm), as well as PM2.5 concentration, during LD. Our study highlights that short-term, strict local emission controls may not effectively reduce PM pollution due to the complex production and transmission characteristics of BCc particles and the nonlinear responses of PM2.5 to its precursors. Achieving further effective PM2.5 reduction mandates a focus on nuanced control of BCc particles and necessitates a comprehensive and extensive approach with a regionally coordinated and balanced control strategy through joint regulation.