Photochemical ozone pollution in five Chinese megacities in summer 2018

To investigate photochemical ozone (O-3) pollution in urban areas in China, O-3 and its precursors and meteorological parameters were simultaneously measured in five megacities in China in summer 2018. Moderate wind speeds, strong solar radiation and high temperature were observed in all cities, indicating favorable meteorological conditions for local O-3 formation. However, the unusually frequent precipitation caused by typhoons reaching the eastern coastline resulted in the least severe air pollution in Shanghai. The highest O-3 level was found in Beijing, followed by Lanzhou and Wuhan, while relatively lower O-3 value was recorded in Chengdu and Shanghai. Photochemical box model simulations revealed that net O-3 production rate in Lanzhou was the largest, followed by Beijing, Wuhan and Chengdu, while it was the lowest in Shanghai. Besides, the O-3 formation was mainly controlled by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in most cities, but co-limited by VOCs and nitrogen oxides in Lanzhou. Moreover, the dominant VOC groups contributing to O-3 formation were oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs) in Beijing and Wuhan, alkenes in Lanzhou, and aromatics and OVOCs in Shanghai and Chengdu. Source apportionment analysis identified six sources of O-3 precursors in these cities, including liquefied petroleum gas usage, diesel exhaust, gasoline exhaust, industrial emissions, solvent usage, and biogenic emissions. Gasoline exhaust dominated the O-3 formation in Beijing, and LPG usage and industrial emissions made comparable contributions in Lanzhou, while LPG usage and solvent usage played a leading role in Wuhan and Chengdu, respectively. The findings are helpful to mitigate O-3 pollution in China. (C) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The study investigated photochemical ozone pollution in five megacities in China during the summer of 2018, finding that meteorological conditions significantly influenced local O3 formation. Beijing had the highest O3 levels, while Shanghai experienced the lightest pollution due to frequent precipitation caused by typhoons. Additionally, VOCs primarily controlled O3 formation in most cities, with Lanzhou being co-limited by VOCs and nitrogen oxides.