The influence of spatiality on shipping emissions, air quality and potential human exposure in the Yangtze River Delta/Shanghai, China

J. Feng; Y. Zhang; Y. Zhang; Y. Zhang; S. Li; J. Mao; A. P. Patton; Y. Zhou; W. Ma; W. Ma; C. Liu; H. Kan; C. Huang; J. An; L. Li; Y. Shen; Q. Fu; X. Wang; J. Liu; S. Wang; D. Ding; J. Cheng; W. Ge; H. Zhu; K. Walker

doi:10.5194/acp-19-6167-2019

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (May 2019)

The influence of spatiality on shipping emissions, air quality and potential human exposure in the Yangtze River Delta/Shanghai, China

J. Feng,
Y. Zhang,
Y. Zhang,
Y. Zhang,
S. Li,
J. Mao,
A. P. Patton,
Y. Zhou,
W. Ma,
W. Ma,
C. Liu,
H. Kan,
C. Huang,
J. An,
L. Li,
Y. Shen,
Q. Fu,
X. Wang,
J. Liu,
S. Wang,
D. Ding,
J. Cheng,
W. Ge,
H. Zhu,
K. Walker

Affiliations

J. Feng: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Y. Zhang: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Y. Zhang: Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Y. Zhang: Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Shanghai 200062, China
S. Li: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
J. Mao: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
A. P. Patton: Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Suite 1400, Boston, MA 02110-1817, USA
Y. Zhou: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
W. Ma: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
W. Ma: Shanghai Institute of Eco-Chongming (SIEC), Shanghai 200062, China
C. Liu: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
H. Kan: School of Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China
C. Huang: Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
J. An: Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
L. Li: Shanghai Academy of Environmental Sciences, Shanghai 200233, China
Y. Shen: Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200030, China
Q. Fu: Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200030, China
X. Wang: Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200030, China
J. Liu: Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai 200030, China
S. Wang: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
D. Ding: State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
J. Cheng: Shanghai Urban-Rural Construction and Transportation Development Research Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
W. Ge: Shanghai Urban-Rural Construction and Transportation Development Research Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
H. Zhu: Shanghai Urban-Rural Construction and Transportation Development Research Institute, Shanghai 200032, China
K. Walker: Health Effects Institute, 75 Federal Street, Suite 1400, Boston, MA 02110-1817, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-6167-2019
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 19
pp. 6167 – 6183

Abstract

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The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and the megacity of Shanghai are host to one of the busiest port clusters in the world; the region also suffers from high levels of air pollution. The goal of this study was to estimate the contributions of shipping to regional emissions, air quality, and population exposure and to characterize the importance of the geographic spatiality of shipping lanes and different types of ship-related sources for the baseline year of 2015, which was prior to the implementation of China's Domestic Emission Control Areas (DECAs) in 2016. The WRF-CMAQ model, which combines the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) and the Community Multi-scale Air Quality (CMAQ) model, was used to simulate the influence of coastal and inland-water shipping, port emissions and ship-related cargo transport on air quality and on the population-weighted concentrations (which is a measure of human exposure). Our results showed that the impact of shipping on air quality in the YRD was primarily attributable to shipping emissions within 12 NM (nautical miles) of shore, but emissions coming from the coastal area between 24 and 96 NM still contributed substantially to ship-related PM2.5 concentrations in the YRD. The overall contribution of ships to the PM2.5 concentration in the YRD could reach 4.62 µg m−3 in summer when monsoon winds transport shipping emissions onshore. In Shanghai city, inland-water going ships were major contributors (40 %–80 %) to the shipping impact on urban air quality. Given the proximity of inland-water ships to the urban populations of Shanghai, the emissions of inland-water ships contributed more to population-weighted concentrations. These research results provide scientific evidence to inform policies for controlling future shipping emissions; in particular, in the YRD region, expanding the boundary of 12 NM from shore in China's current DECA policy to around 100 NM from shore would include most of shipping emissions affecting air pollutant exposure, and stricter fuel standards could be considered for the ships on inland rivers and other waterways close to residential regions.

Published in Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics

ISSN: 1680-7316 (Print); 1680-7324 (Online)
Publisher: Copernicus Publications
Country of publisher: Germany
LCC subjects: Science: Physics; Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/

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