Synergistic effects of biogenic volatile organic compounds and soil nitric oxide emissions on summertime ozone formation in China

Abstract

Natural emissions play a key role in modulating the formation of ground-level ozone (O₃), especially emissions of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and soil nitric oxide (SNO), and their individual effects on O₃ formation have been previously quantified and evaluated. However, their synergistic effects remain unclear and have not yet been well assessed. By applying the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model coupled with the Chemistry-Model of Emissions of Gases and Aerosols from Nature (WRF/Chem-MEGAN) model, this study reveals that in the presence of sufficient BVOC emissions, which act as a fuel, SNO emissions act as a fuel additive and promote the chemical reactions of BVOCs and the subsequent production of O₃. Consequently, the synergistic effects of BVOC and SNO emissions on summertime O₃ production surpassed the sum of their individual effects by as much as 10-20 μg m^-3 in eastern China in 2014. In order to reduce O₃ concentration to a level corresponding to no natural emissions of BVOC or SNO (i.e., the BASE scenario), the anthropogenic volatile organic compound (AVOC) emissions in the scenario considers BVOC and SNO emissions must be reduced by 1.76 times that of the BASE scenario. This study demonstrates that the synergistic effects of BVOC and SNO emissions can impede ground-level O₃ regulation and can subsequently impose stricter requirements on anthropogenic precursor emission control in China. The results of this study can also inform efforts in other regions that are still combating ground-level O₃ pollution.

Keywords: Biogenic volatile organic compounds; Ground-level ozone; Soil nitric oxide; Synergistic effects; WRF/Chem-MEGAN.