| Title: | PM(2.5) pollution is substantially affected by ammonia emissions in China |
| Author(s): | Wu Y; Gu B; Erisman JW; Reis S; Fang Y; Lu X; Zhang X; |
| Address: | "Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China. Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; Department of Land Management, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China. Electronic address: bjgu@zju.edu.cn. Louis Bolk Institute, Hoofdstraat 24, 3972 LA, Driebergen, The Netherlands; VU Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1091, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, United Kingdom; University of Exeter Medical School, Knowledge Spa, Truro, TR1 3HD, United Kingdom. Deparment of Global Ecology, Carnegie Institution for Science, Stanford, 94305, CA, USA. Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science and Technology, International Institute for Earth System Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, PR China. Policy Simulation Laboratory, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China; College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, PR China" |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.027 |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1873-6424 (Electronic) 0269-7491 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Urban air quality in China has been declining substantially in recent years due to severe haze episodes. The reduction of sulfur dioxide (SO(2)) and nitrogen oxide (NO(x)) emissions since 2013 does not yet appear to yield substantial benefits for haze mitigation. As the reductions of those key precursors to secondary aerosol formation appears not to sufficient, other crucial factors need to be considered for the design of effective air pollution control strategies. Here we argue that ammonia (NH(3)) plays a - so far - underestimated role in the formation of secondary inorganic aerosols, a main component of urban fine particulate matter (PM(2.5)) concentrations in China. By analyzing in situ concentration data observed in major cities alongside gridded emission data obtained from remote sensing and inventories, we find that emissions of NH(3) have a more robust association with the spatiotemporal variation of PM(2.5) levels than emissions of SO(2) and NO(x). As a consequence, we argue that urban PM(2.5) pollution in China in many locations is substantially affected by NH(3) emissions. We highlight that more efforts should be directed to the reduction of NH(3) emissions that help mitigate PM(2.5) pollution more efficiently than other PM(2.5) precursors. Such efforts will yield substantial co-benefits by improving nitrogen use efficiency in farming systems. As a consequence, such integrated strategies would not only improve urban air quality, but also contribute to China's food-security goals, prevent further biodiversity loss, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lead to economic savings" |
| Keywords: | Aerosols/analysis Air Pollutants/*analysis/chemistry Air Pollution/*analysis Ammonia/*analysis/chemistry China *Cities Environmental Monitoring/*methods Environmental Pollution Humans Nitrogen Oxides/analysis Ozone Particle Size Particulate Matter/analysi; |
| Notes: | "MedlineWu, Yiyun Gu, Baojing Erisman, Jan Willem Reis, Stefan Fang, Yuanyuan Lu, Xuehe Zhang, Xiuming eng BB/N013484/1/BB_/Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council/United Kingdom England 2016/08/24 Environ Pollut. 2016 Nov; 218:86-94. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.08.027. Epub 2016 Aug 20" |
