Source attribution of particulate matter pollution over North China with the adjoint method

Lin Zhang; Licheng Liu; Yuanhong Zhao; Sunling Gong; Xiaoye Zhang; Daven K Henze; Shannon L Capps; Tzung-May Fu; Qiang Zhang; Yuxuan Wang

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084011

Environmental Research Letters (Jan 2015)

Source attribution of particulate matter pollution over North China with the adjoint method

Lin Zhang,
Licheng Liu,
Yuanhong Zhao,
Sunling Gong,
Xiaoye Zhang,
Daven K Henze,
Shannon L Capps,
Tzung-May Fu,
Qiang Zhang,
Yuxuan Wang

Affiliations

Lin Zhang: Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
Licheng Liu: Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
Yuanhong Zhao: Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
Sunling Gong: Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, CMA, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
Xiaoye Zhang: Key Laboratory for Atmospheric Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, CMA, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
Daven K Henze: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Shannon L Capps: Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado , Boulder, CO 80309, USA
Tzung-May Fu: Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Sciences, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University , Beijing 100871, People’s Republic of China
Qiang Zhang: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China
Yuxuan Wang: Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Center for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University , Beijing 100084, People’s Republic of China; Department of Marine Sciences, Texas A&M University at Galveston , Galveston, TX 77553, USA; Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Texas A&M University , College Station, TX 77843, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/10/8/084011
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 10, no. 8
p. 084011

Abstract

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We quantify the source contributions to surface PM2.5 (fine particulate matter) pollution over North China from January 2013 to 2015 using the GEOS-Chem chemical transport model and its adjoint with improved model horizontal resolution (1/4° × 5/16°) and aqueous-phase chemistry for sulfate production. The adjoint method attributes the PM2.5 pollution to emissions from different source sectors and chemical species at the model resolution. Wintertime surface PM2.5 over Beijing is contributed by emissions of organic carbon (27% of the total source contribution), anthropogenic fine dust (27%), and SO _2 (14%), which are mainly from residential and industrial sources, followed by NH _3 (13%) primarily from agricultural activities. About half of the Beijing pollution originates from sources outside of the city municipality. Adjoint analyses for other cities in North China all show significant regional pollution transport, supporting a joint regional control policy for effectively mitigating the PM2.5 air pollution.

Published in Environmental Research Letters

ISSN: 1748-9326 (Online)
Publisher: IOP Publishing
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Technology: Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering; Geography. Anthropology. Recreation: Environmental sciences; Science: Physics
Website: https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326

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