Evolution of anthropogenic air pollutant emissions in Guangdong Province, China, from 2006 to 2015

Abstract

Abstract. Guangdong Province (GD), one of the most prosperous and populous regions in China, still experiences haze events and growing ozone pollution in spite of the substantial air-quality improvement in recent years. Integrated control of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and ozone in GD calls for a systematic review of historical emissions. In this study, emission trends, spatial variations, source-contribution variations, and reduction potentials of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), PM2.5, inhalable particles (PM10), carbon monoxide (CO), ammonia (NH3), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in GD from 2006 to 2015 were first examined using a dynamic methodology, taking into account economic development, technology penetration, and emission controls. The relative change rates of anthropogenic emissions in GD during 2006–2015 are −48 % for SO2, −0.5 % for NOx, −16 % for PM2.5, −22 % for PM10, 13 % for CO, 3 % for NH3, and 13 % for VOCs. The declines of SO2, NOx, PM2.5, and PM10 emissions in the whole province mainly resulted from the stringent emission control in the Pearl River delta (PRD) region, where most previous control measures were focused, especially on power plants (SO2 and NOx), industrial combustion (SO2, PM2.5, PM10), on-road mobile sources (NOx), and dust sources (PM2.5 and PM10). Emissions from other areas (non-PRD, NPRD), nevertheless, remain relatively stable due to the lax control measures and rapidly growing energy consumption. In addition, emission leaks of SO2 and NOx from industries are observed from PRD to NPRD in 2010 and 2011. As a result, emissions in NPRD are increasingly important in GD, particularly those from industrial combustion. The contribution of NPRD to the total SO2 emissions in GD, for example, increased from 27 % in 2006 to 48 % in 2015. On-road mobile sources and solvent use are the two key sources that should receive more effective control measures in GD. Current control-driven emission reductions from on-road mobile sources are neutralized by the substantial growth of the vehicle population, while VOC emissions in GD steadily increase due to the growth of solvent use and the absence of effective control measures. Besides, future work could focus on power plants and industrial combustion in GD and industrial process sources in NPRD, which still have large emission reduction potentials. The historical emission inventory developed in this study not only helps to understand the emission evolution in GD, but also provides robust data to quantify the impact of emission and meteorology variations on air quality and unveil the primary cause of significant air-quality change in GD in the recent decade.

CO Emissions Inferred From Surface CO Observations Over China in December 2013 and 2017

“…The total decrease in these three regions is account for 35% of the decrease in mainland China. The significant emission reductions in these three regions may be mainly due to the strict emission control strategies, including moving factory from urban regions to remote regions and changing the energy consumption and energy structure (Bian et al, 2019; D. Chen, Liu, et al, 2019; van der A et al, 2017). In BTH, the emissions are consistently decreased, but in its surrounding areas, including Shanxi, eastern Shandong, the junction area of Hebei, Shandong, and Henan provinces, as well as the rural areas of Tangshan and Qinhuangdao, the emissions are increased.…”

“…In Southern China, the CO emissions decreased in the PRD but increased in eastern and western Guangdong Province and southern Guangxi Province. Guangdong government proposed the macrocontrol strategy of “Bi‐transfer” in which the eastern and western wings of Guangdong and the mountainous area of northern Guangdong actively undertake industrial transfer in the PRD to solve the problem of unbalanced regional economic development and promote ecological civil civilization (Bian et al, 2019; Jing et al, 2017; X. Yin et al, 2017). This may lead to increased emissions from the center to the periphery (L. Chen, Xu, & Yang, 2017; Wei et al, 2019; Xiao et al, 2017).…”

“…The total decrease in these three regions is account for 35% of the decrease in mainland China. The significant emission reductions in these three regions may be mainly due to the strict emission control strategies, including moving factory from urban regions to remote regions and changing the energy consumption and energy structure (Bian et al, 2019;D. Chen, Liu, et al, 2019;van der A et al, 2017).…”

Nitrogen oxides and ozone in urban air: A review of 50 plus years of progress

“…7,8,11,14 increased from 2013 to 2017, and the number of premature deaths per year due to ozone has increased from 49,120 to 56,800 during this time period. 19,20 There is a need to reduce emissions of both VOCs and nitrogen oxides in order to reduce ozone concentrations in the air. 19,20,21 Epidemiology research has been used to determine health effects associated with air pollution.…”

Characterization of submicron particles by Time-of-Flight Aerosol Chemical Speciation Monitor (ToF-ACSM) during wintertime: aerosol composition, sources and chemical processes in Guangzhou, China

“…The diurnal concentration of sulfate showed very slight variation for both pollution EPs and non-pollution period, with the averaged daytime concentration being almost the same as that at night. This indicates that the sulfate concentration was always less influenced by local anthropogenic emissions due to the fact that power plants, the most important source of sulfur dioxide (SO2), are rarely 370 located in urban Guangzhou (Bian et al, 2019). Thus, the sulfate concentration in this study should be https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-2019-1080 Preprint.…”