Emissions from international airport and its impact on air quality: A case study of beijing daxing international airport (PKX), China

Ya-Nan Wang; Chao Zou; Tian-Ge Fang; Nai-Xiu Sun; Xiao-Yu Liang; Lin Wu; Hong-Jun Mao

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122472

Emissions from international airport and its impact on air quality: A case study of beijing daxing international airport (PKX), China

Environ Pollut. 2023 Nov 1:336:122472. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122472. Epub 2023 Aug 28.

Authors

Ya-Nan Wang¹, Chao Zou¹, Tian-Ge Fang¹, Nai-Xiu Sun¹, Xiao-Yu Liang¹, Lin Wu², Hong-Jun Mao¹

Affiliations

¹ Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China.
² Tianjin Key Laboratory of Urban Transport Emission Research, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, PR China. Electronic address: wulin@nankai.edu.cn.

PMID: 37648057
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122472

Abstract

The Beijing Daxing International Airport is a newly opened airport, and a comprehensive emission inventory of air pollution sources has not yet been established. The lack of basic inventory data will cause difficulties in controlling the air quality (AQ) in and around the airport. Based on actual flight data, we established a comprehensive emission inventory (carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides (NO_X), hydrocarbons (HC), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), particulate matter (PM), and carbon dioxide (CO₂)) at Beijing Daxing International Airport. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of airport emissions on the AQ of the surrounding areas using the ADMS-Airport model. The results showed that Beijing Daxing International Airport emitted 1.15 E+03, 1.76 E+03, 1.38 E+02, 1.16 E+02, 3.53 E+01, and 3.75 E+05 t of CO, NO_X, HC, SO₂, PM, and CO₂, respectively, from July 1, 2020, to June 30, 2021. Engine exhaust emissions (landing and takeoff [LTO] cycles) dominated all airport pollutant emissions except for PM from the power plant. Among all aircraft types, B738 emitted the most CO₂, as it accounted for almost half of all the flights. The AQ simulations showed that the air pollutant diffusion range was concentrated within 15 km of the airport and the surrounding areas. The contribution of airport emissions to NO_X concentrations was most apparent under the most unfavorable meteorological conditions. Based on the average pollutant concentration during the study period, the Gu'an Li Hu Primary School station was the most affected. In particular, NO_X concentrations at this station were approximately 50% higher in winter than in summer. Currently, the airport's contribution to pollution in the surrounding areas is insignificant. However, with the continuous increase in the number of flights at the airport, its impact on the AQ in the surrounding areas must be addressed in the future.

Keywords: Air pollutants; Air quality; Airport emissions; Landing; Takeoff.