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Maximizing ozone control by spatial sensitivity-oriented mitigation strategy in the Pearl River Delta Region, China
Runyu Wang1, Lili Wang2, Jiaren Sun3
1State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China; College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Effective ozone (O3) control in the Pearl River Delta requires regional cooperation. Tailored strategies targeting nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) based on pollution sensitivity are crucial for reducing O3 levels.
Area of Science:
- Atmospheric Chemistry and Air Pollution
- Environmental Science
- Regional Climate Modeling
Background:
- The Pearl River Delta (PRD) faces severe autumn ozone (O3) pollution, exacerbated by photochemical reactions within the planetary boundary layer.
- A specific O3 pollution episode in September 2021, influenced by the Western Pacific Subtropical High, highlighted the need for targeted control strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate effective O3 control strategies by analyzing precursor (NOx and VOCs) control types and scopes.
- To understand the heterogeneous O3-NOx-VOC sensitivity across the PRD region.
- To inform regional cooperative regulation for O3 mitigation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model.
- Employed the High-order Decoupled Direct Method (HDDM) to assess O3 response to precursor changes.
- Applied the Integrated Source Apportionment Method (ISAM) to identify emission sources.
Main Results:
- Most areas (67.0%) in the PRD are under a nitrogen oxides (NOx)-limited regime, while some central, heavily polluted areas are volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited (11.6%) or mixed (15.0%).
- Guangdong province is a significant contributor to PRD's O3 pollution (32.3%-58.4%).
- Regional cooperative control, especially region-wide VOC reduction and sensitivity-oriented NOx control, proved more effective than local emission reductions, avoiding O3 rebound and achieving substantial O3 declines.
Conclusions:
- Effective O3 regulation in heavily polluted regions necessitates meticulous, coordinated, and dynamic NOx and VOC controls across the entire region.
- Control strategies must be based on high-resolution analysis of heterogeneous O3-NOx-VOC sensitivity.
- Increased in-situ observations covering multi-sensitivity regions are needed to better reflect emission reduction gains.
