Annual variations of black carbon over the Yangtze River Delta from 2015 to 2018

In this study, the black carbon (BC) measurements in the atmosphere of Nanjing, China were continuously conducted from 2015 to 2018 using a Model AE-33 aethalometer. By combining dataset of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, CO, NO₂, SO₂, O₃ and meteorological parameters, the temporal variations and the source apportionment of BC were given in this study. The results showed that the PM_2.5 mass concentrations decreased in Nanjing, with an average annual rate of variation of 6.50 μg/(m³⋅year). Differently, the annual average concentrations of BC increased with an average annual variation rate of 214.71 ng/(m³⋅year). The seasonal variations showed the pattern of BC mass concentrations in winter > autumn > spring > summer. The diurnal variations of BC mass concentrations showed a double-peak in all four seasons. The first peak occurred at approximately 7:00 in spring, summer and autumn and around 8:00 in winter. The second peak took place after 18:00. The average AAE (absorption Ångström exponent) was 1.26 with a maximum of 1.35 during wintertime and the lowest (1.12) during summertime. In addition, the AAE was smaller in the daytime than that at night, with a minimum occurring between 13:00 and 14:00. BC and visibility show a good power-function relationship at different humidity levels. The average values of the visibility thresholds of the BC mass concentrations in spring, summer, autumn and winter were 1.326, 5.522, 1.340 and 0.708 μg/m³, respectively. The greater the relative humidity, the smaller the visibility threshold for the BC mass concentrations was.