Analysis of VOC emissions and O3 control strategies in the Fenhe Plain cities, China

Yafei Liu; Peipei Qiu; Kai Xu; Chenlu Li; Shijie Yin; Yunjun Zhang; Yu Ding; Chen Zhang; Zheng Wang; Ruixiao Zhai; Yijun Deng; Fengyu Yan; Wenjie Zhang; Zhigang Xue; Yele Sun; Dongsheng Ji; Jie Li; Jing Chen; Hezhong Tian; Xingang Liu; Yuanhang Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116534

Analysis of VOC emissions and O₃ control strategies in the Fenhe Plain cities, China

J Environ Manage. 2023 Jan 1;325(Pt A):116534. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116534. Epub 2022 Nov 1.

Authors

Yafei Liu¹, Peipei Qiu², Kai Xu¹, Chenlu Li¹, Shijie Yin¹, Yunjun Zhang¹, Yu Ding¹, Chen Zhang¹, Zheng Wang³, Ruixiao Zhai³, Yijun Deng³, Fengyu Yan³, Wenjie Zhang⁴, Zhigang Xue⁴, Yele Sun⁵, Dongsheng Ji⁵, Jie Li⁵, Jing Chen¹, Hezhong Tian¹, Xingang Liu⁶, Yuanhang Zhang⁷

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
² State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
³ Yuncheng Municipal Ecological Environment Bureau, Yuncheng, 044000, China.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria and Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, 100012, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China.
⁶ State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China. Electronic address: liuxingang@bnu.edu.cn.
⁷ State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China. Electronic address: yhzhang@pku.edu.cn.

PMID: 36419282
DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116534

Abstract

Long-term continuous hourly measurements of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are scarce at the regional scale. In this study, a one-year hourly measurement campaign of VOCs was performed in Lvliang, Linfen, and Yuncheng in the heavily polluted Fenhe Plain region in China. The VOC average (±standard deviation, std) concentrations in Lvliang, Linfen, and Yuncheng were 44.4 ± 24.9, 45.7 ± 24.9, and 37.5 ± 25.0 ppbv, respectively. Compared to published data from the past two decades in China, the observed VOCs were at high concentration levels. VOCs in the Fenhe Plain cities were significantly impacted by industrial sources according to calculated emission ratios but were less affected by liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas (LPG/NG) and traffic emissions than those in megacities abroad. The emission inventories and observation data were combined for verification and identification of the key VOC species and sources controlling ozone (O₃). Industrial emissions were the largest source of VOCs, accounting for 65%-79% of the total VOC emissions, while the coking industry accounted for 45.2%-66.0%. The emission inventories significantly underestimated oxygenated VOC (OVOC) emissions through the verification of VOC emission ratios. O₃ control scenarios were analyzed by changing VOC/NO_X reduction ratios through a photochemical box model. O₃ control strategies were formulated considering local pollution control plans, emission inventories, and O₃ formation regimes. The O₃ reduction of reactivity-control measures was comparable with emission-control measures, ranging from 16% to 41%, which was contrary to the general perception that ozone formation potential (OFP)-based measures were more efficient for O₃ reduction. Sources with high VOC emissions are accompanied by high OFP on the Fenhe Plain, indicating that the control of high-emission sources can effectively mitigate O₃ pollution on this region.

Keywords: Emission ratios; Fenhe plain; Ozone control scenarios; VOC emissions.

MeSH terms

China
Cities
Environmental Pollution
Ozone*
Volatile Organic Compounds*

Substances

Volatile Organic Compounds
Ozone