Journal article
Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China
SCIENCE ADVANCES, Vol.2(12), e1601530
2016
DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1601530
PMCID: PMC5176349
PMID: 28028539
Abstract
Fine-particle pollution associated with winter haze threatens the health of more than 400 million people in the North China Plain. Sulfate is a major component of fine haze particles. Record sulfate concentrations of up to similar to 300 mu g m(-3) were observed during the January 2013 winter haze event in Beijing. State-of-the-art air quality models that rely on sulfate production mechanisms requiring photochemical oxidants cannot predict these high levels because of the weak photochemistry activity during haze events. We find that the missing source of sulfate and particulate matter can be explained by reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water. The aerosol water serves as a reactor, where the alkaline aerosol components trap SO2, which is oxidized by NO2 to form sulfate, whereby high reaction rates are sustained by the high neutralizing capacity of the atmosphere in northern China. This mechanism is self-amplifying because higher aerosol mass concentration corresponds to higher aerosol water content, leading to faster sulfate production and more severe haze pollution.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China
- Creators
- Yafang Cheng - Max Planck SocietyGuangjie Zheng - Tsinghua UniversityChao Wei - Max Planck SocietyQing Mu - Max Planck SocietyBo Zheng - Tsinghua UniversityZhibin Wang - Max Planck SocietyMeng Gao - University of IowaQiang Zhang - Tsinghua UniversityKebin He - Tsinghua UniversityGregory Carmichael - University of IowaUlrich Pöschl - Max Planck SocietyHang Su - Jinan University
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- SCIENCE ADVANCES, Vol.2(12), e1601530
- DOI
- 10.1126/sciadv.1601530
- PMID
- 28028539
- PMCID
- PMC5176349
- ISSN
- 2375-2548
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/501100002855, name: Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, award: ID0EENBG12639, 2012CB932201; DOI: 10.13039/501100001809, name: National Natural Science Foundation of China, award: ID0EJUBG12640, 51231006; DOI: 10.13039/501100001809, name: National Natural Science Foundation of China, award: ID0EO2BG12641, 51261130091
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 2016
- Academic Unit
- Civil and Environmental Engineering; Nursing; Chemical and Biochemical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984232160202771
Metrics
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