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- Title
Sulfate-nitrate-ammonium aerosols over China: response to 2000-2015 emission changes of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and ammonia.
- Authors
Wang, Y.; Zhang, Q. Q.; He, K.; Zhang, Q.; Chai, L.
- Abstract
We use a chemical transport model to examine the change of sulfate-nitrateammonium (SNA) aerosols over China due to anthropogenic emission changes of their precursors (SO2, NOx and NH3) from 2000 to 2015. From 2000 to 2006, annual mean SNA concentrations increased by about 60% over China as a result of the 60% ~80% increases in SO2 and NOx emissions. During this period, sulfate is the dominant component of SNA over South China (SC) and Sichuan Basin (SCB), while nitrate makes equal contribution as sulfate over North China (NC). Based on emission reduction targets in the 12th (2011-2015) Five Year Plan (FYP), China's total SO2 and NOx emissions are projected to change by -16% and +16% from 2006 to 2015, respectively. However, the amount of NH3 emissions in 2015 is uncertain, given our finding that bottom-up inventories tend to overestimate China's ammonia emissions during the 2000-2006 period. With no change in NH3 emissions, SNA mass concentrations in 2015 will decrease over SCB and SC compared to their levels in 2006, but increase over NC where the magnitude of nitrate increase exceeds that of sulfate reduction. This suggests that the SO2 emission reduction target set by the 12th FYP, although effective in reducing SNA over SC and SCB, will not be successful over NC for which NOx emission control needs to be strengthened. If NH3 emissions are allowed to keep their recent growth rate and increase by +16% from 2006 to 2015, the benefit of SO2 reduction will be completely offset over all of China due to the significant increase of nitrate, demonstrating the critical role of NH3 in regulating nitrate. The effective strategy to control SNA and hence PM2.5 pollution over China should thus be based on improving understanding of current NH3 emissions and putting more emphasis on controlling NH3 emissions in the future.
- Subjects
CHINA; ATMOSPHERIC aerosols; AMMONIUM &; the environment; ATMOSPHERIC models; EMISSION control; CLIMATE change; SULFUR dioxide &; the environment; NITROGEN oxides &; the environment
- Publication
Atmospheric Chemistry & Physics Discussions, 2012, Vol 12, Issue 9, p24243
- ISSN
1680-7367
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.5194/acpd-12-24243-2012