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. 2021 Apr 7;38(7):1101–1114. doi: 10.1007/s00376-020-0224-2

Characteristics of Chemical Speciation in PM1 in Six Representative Regions in China

Kaixu Bai 1,2, Can Wu 1, Jianjun Li 3, Ke Li 1, Jianping Guo 4, Gehui Wang 1,2,✉
PMCID: PMC8023521  PMID: 33840873

Abstract

A better knowledge of aerosol properties is of great significance for elucidating the complex mechanisms behind frequently occurring haze pollution events. In this study, we examine the temporal and spatial variations in both PM1 and its major chemical constituents using three-year field measurements that were collected in six representative regions in China between 2012 and 2014. Our results show that both PM1 and its chemical compositions varied significantly in space and time, with high PM1 loadings mainly observed in the winter. By comparing chemical constituents between clean and polluted episodes, we find that the elevated PM1 mass concentration during pollution events should be largely attributable to significant increases in organic matter (OM) and inorganic aerosols like sulfate, nitrate, and ammonium (SNA), indicative of the critical role of primary emissions and secondary aerosols in elevating PM1 pollution levels. The ratios of PM1/PM2.5 are found to be generally high in Shanghai and Guangzhou, while relatively low ratios are seen in Xi’an and Chengdu, indicating anthropogenic emissions were more likely to accumulate in forms of finer particles. With respect to the relative importance of chemical components and meteorological factors quantified via statistical modeling practices, we find that primary emissions and secondary aerosols were the two leading factors contributing to PM1 variations, though meteorological factors also played important roles in regulating the dispersion of atmospheric PM.

Key words: PM1 pollution, chemical speciation, secondary aerosol, field campaign

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to three anonymous reviewers and editors for their copious and constructive comments and suggestions. This work was financially supported by National Key R&D Plan (NO. 2017YFC0210000), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NO. 41701413), National Key R&D Plan (No. 2017YFC0212703) and Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NO. XDB05020401). Meteorological data were acquired from the Meteorological Information Comprehensive Analysis and Process System (air temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed), and ERA-Interim reanalysis (boundary layer height) that was provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts.

Footnotes

Article Highlights

• PM1 and its chemical compositions in China varied significantly in space and time.

• PM1 loading in China was mainly regulated by primary emissions and secondary aerosols.

• Meteorological conditions played important roles in modulating PM1 loading in Shanghai.

• PM pollution in Shanghai and Guangzhou were mainly caused by submicron particles.

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