Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rural and urban areas of northern China

Wei Li; Chen Wang; Hongqijie Wang; Jiwei Chen; Huizhong Shen; Guofeng Shen; Ye Huang; Rong Wang; Bin Wang; Yanyan Zhang; Han Chen; Yuanchen Chen; Shu Su; Nan Lin; Jianhui Tang; Qingbo Li; Xilong Wang; Junfeng Liu; Shu Tao

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.039

Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in rural and urban areas of northern China

Environ Pollut. 2014 Sep:192:83-90. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.039. Epub 2014 Jun 3.

Authors

Wei Li¹, Chen Wang¹, Hongqijie Wang¹, Jiwei Chen¹, Huizhong Shen¹, Guofeng Shen¹, Ye Huang¹, Rong Wang¹, Bin Wang¹, Yanyan Zhang¹, Han Chen¹, Yuanchen Chen¹, Shu Su¹, Nan Lin¹, Jianhui Tang², Qingbo Li³, Xilong Wang¹, Junfeng Liu¹, Shu Tao⁴

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China.
² Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, CAS, Yantai, Shandong 264003, PR China.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Dalian Maritime University, Dalian 116026, PR China.
⁴ Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, PR China. Electronic address: taos@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 24905256
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2014.04.039

Abstract

Air pollution in rural China has often been ignored, especially for the less developed west China. Atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were measured monthly at 11 rural sites (5 rural villages and 6 rural fields) together with 7 urban stations in northern China between April 2010 and March 2011. PAH concentrations at rural village sites were similar to those in urban areas and significantly higher than those in rural fields, indicating severe contamination in rural villages. PAH concentrations in the west were similar to those in the more developed North China Plain, and higher than those along the coast. Such a geographical distribution is mainly caused by the differences in residential energy consumption and meteorological conditions, which can explain approximately 48% of the total variation in PAH concentrations. With heavy dependence on biofuel combustion for heating, seasonality in rural areas is more profound than that in urban areas.

Keywords: Northern China; PAHs; Rural village; Spatial distribution; Temporal variation.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants / analysis*
Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data
Atmosphere / chemistry
China
Environmental Monitoring*
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / analysis*

Substances

Air Pollutants
Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons