Investigation of biogenic volatile organic compounds emissions in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Luxi Wang; Xiaoxiu Lun; Ju Wu; Qiang Wang; Jinhua Tao; Xiaoyan Dou; Zhijun Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165877

Investigation of biogenic volatile organic compounds emissions in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Sci Total Environ. 2023 Dec 1:902:165877. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165877. Epub 2023 Aug 6.

Authors

Luxi Wang¹, Xiaoxiu Lun², Ju Wu¹, Qiang Wang³, Jinhua Tao⁴, Xiaoyan Dou⁵, Zhijun Zhang⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
² College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: lunxiaoxiu@bjfu.edu.cn.
³ College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China. Electronic address: qiangwang@bjfu.edu.cn.
⁴ State Key Laboratory of Remote Sensing Science, Jointly Sponsored by Institute of Remote Sensing Applications of Chinese Academy of Sciences and Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100101, China.
⁵ Qinghai Eco-Environment Monitoring Center, Xining 810007, China.

PMID: 37549697
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165877

Abstract

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs), which are produced and emitted by plants, have significant chemical reactivity in the atmosphere and impacting climate change. Qinghai Province, a vital component of the plateau, has abundant vegetation resources, primarily grasslands and forests, yet BVOCs emissions and their impact on air quality remain understudied. In this study, the emissions rates and compositions of BVOCs from seven dominant vegetation types in Qinghai Province were sampled and analyzed using a closed-loop stripping dynamic headspace sampling approach combined with GC-MS, and the total emissions of BVOCs in Qinghai province in 2021 were estimated by using G95 model. At the same time, the emission characteristics of various vegetation types were also analyzed. The results showed that the emissions rates and compositions of BVOCs differed significantly among vegetation types, with monoterpenes being the dominant emission composition in coniferous forests, which accounted for >70 % of the total BVOCs emissions, while isoprene being the main composition in alpine meadow, accounting for 84.96 %. The emissions of three typical vegetation types, Picea asperata, alpine meadow and alpine steppe, were monitored daily, revealing significant diurnal and clear unimodal patterns. The study also found that the annual average BVOCs emissions from vegetation sources in Qinghai Province were estimated to be 1550.63 Gg yr^-1, with isoprene contributing the highest proportion of emissions, accounting for 56.94 %. Grassland was the largest BVOCs emission source in Qinghai Province, with an annual average emission of 1438.52 Gg yr^-1. Additionally, BVOCs emissions in Qinghai Province showed strong seasonal and daily variation patterns, with the highest emissions occurring in summer, with the peak in July. These findings provide the characteristics of BVOCs emissions from vegetation sources in the Tibetan Plateau, which will contribute to a better understanding of their impact on atmospheric chemistry and climate change.

Keywords: Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs); Emission inventory; Grassland; Isoprene; Monoterpenes; Tibetan Plateau.

MeSH terms

Air Pollutants* / analysis
Forests
Tibet
Volatile Organic Compounds* / analysis

Substances

isoprene
Volatile Organic Compounds
Air Pollutants