Articles | Volume 21, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4025-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-4025-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Impact of reduced anthropogenic emissions during COVID-19 on air quality in India
Mengyuan Zhang
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Arpit Katiyar
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 110016, India
Shengqiang Zhu
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Juanyong Shen
School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong
University, Shanghai 200240, China
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 99907, China
Jinlong Ma
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Sri Harsha Kota
Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, 110016, India
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong
Polytechnic University, Hong Kong SAR, 99907, China
Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai 200062, China
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Qianqian Gao, Guochao Chen, Xiaohui Lu, Jianmin Chen, Hongliang Zhang, and Xiaofei Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 12657–12673, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12657-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-12657-2025, 2025
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Numerous lakes are shrinking, owing to climate change and human activities, releasing pollutants from dried lake beds as dust aerosols. The health risks remain unclear. Recently, Poyang and Dongting lakes faced record droughts, exposing 99 % and 88 % of their areas. We show that lake bed dust can raise PM10 to 637.5 μg m-³ and exceed non-carcinogenic (HQ = 4.13) and Cr carcinogenic (approx. 2.10 × 10−⁶) risk thresholds, posing growing health threats.
Xinlu Liu, Zhongyi Sun, Chong Shi, Peng Wang, Tangzhe Nie, Qingnan Chu, Huazhe Shang, Lu Sun, Dabin Ji, Meng Guo, Kunpeng Yi, Zhenghong Tan, Lan Wu, Xinchun Lu, and Shuai Yin
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-588, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-588, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
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Estimates of global biomass burning emissions differ, posing a challenge for environment and climate change research. In response to this challenge, our new 2003–2023 dataset integrates top-down and bottom-up methods with multi-source data. This provides a plausible emissions range to quantify uncertainty, revealing that the greatest uncertainty is not in traditional hotspots but in regions with infrequent, extreme fires. This work offers vital data for more robust climate models.
Mingjie Kang, Hongliang Zhang, and Qi Ying
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11453–11467, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11453-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11453-2025, 2025
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This study examines the impacts of reducing nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds on ozone (O3), secondary inorganic aerosols (SIAs), and OH and NO3 radicals. The results show similar predictions for 8 h O3 but significant variability for SIA and radicals, with differences up to 30 % for SIA and 200 % for radicals across chemical mechanisms and inventories. The findings highlight that evaluating control strategies for SIA and atmospheric oxidation capacity requires an ensemble approach.
Bin Luo, Yuqiang Zhang, Tao Tang, Hongliang Zhang, Jianlin Hu, Jiangshan Mu, Wenxing Wang, and Likun Xue
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 4767–4783, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4767-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-4767-2025, 2025
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India is facing a severe air pollution crisis that poses significant health risks, particularly from PM2.5 and O3. Our study reveals rising levels of both pollutants from 1995 to 2014, leading to increased premature mortality. While anthropogenic emissions play a significant role, biomass burning also impacts air quality, in particular seasons and regions in India. This study underscores the urgent need for localized policies to protect public health amid escalating environmental challenges.
Mingxue Li, Men Xia, Chunshui Lin, Yifan Jiang, Weihang Sun, Yurun Wang, Yingnan Zhang, Maoxia He, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 3753–3764, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3753-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-3753-2025, 2025
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Our field campaigns observed a strong diel pattern of chloroacetic acid as well as a strong correlation between its level and that of reactive chlorine species at a coastal site. Using quantum chemical calculations and box model simulation with an updated Master Chemical Mechanism, we found that the formation pathway of chloroacetic acid involved multiphase processes. Our study enhances understanding of atmospheric organic chlorine chemistry and emphasizes the importance of multiphase reactions.
Jianing Dai, Guy P. Brasseur, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Maria Kanakidou, Kun Qu, Yijuan Zhang, Hongliang Zhang, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 12943–12962, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12943-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-12943-2024, 2024
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This paper employs a regional chemical transport model to quantify the sensitivity of air pollutants and photochemical parameters to specified emission reductions in China for representative winter and summer conditions. The study provides insights into further air quality control in China with reduced primary emissions.
Shuai Wang, Mengyuan Zhang, Hui Zhao, Peng Wang, Sri Harsha Kota, Qingyan Fu, Cong Liu, and Hongliang Zhang
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 3565–3577, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3565-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3565-2024, 2024
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Long-term, open-source, gap-free daily ground-level PM2.5 and PM10 datasets for India (LongPMInd) were reconstructed using a robust machine learning model to support health assessment and air quality management.
Shuai Wang, Mengyuan Zhang, Yueqi Gao, Peng Wang, Qingyan Fu, and Hongliang Zhang
Geosci. Model Dev., 17, 3617–3629, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3617-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-17-3617-2024, 2024
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Numerical models are widely used in air pollution modeling but suffer from significant biases. The machine learning model designed in this study shows high efficiency in identifying such biases. Meteorology (relative humidity and cloud cover), chemical composition (secondary organic components and dust aerosols), and emission sources (residential activities) are diagnosed as the main drivers of bias in modeling PM2.5, a typical air pollutant. The results will help to improve numerical models.
Yifan Jiang, Men Xia, Zhe Wang, Penggang Zheng, Yi Chen, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14813–14828, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14813-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14813-2023, 2023
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This study provides the first estimate of high rates of formic acid (HCOOH) production from the photochemical aging of real ambient particles and demonstrates the potential importance of this pathway in the formation of HCOOH under ambient conditions. Incorporating this pathway significantly improved the performance of a widely used chemical model. Our solution irradiation experiments demonstrated the importance of nitrate photolysis in HCOOH production via the production of oxidants.
Jianing Dai, Guy P. Brasseur, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Maria Kanakidou, Kun Qu, Yijuan Zhang, Hongliang Zhang, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 14127–14158, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14127-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-14127-2023, 2023
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In this study, we used a regional chemical transport model to characterize the different parameters of atmospheric oxidative capacity in recent chemical environments in China. These parameters include the production and destruction rates of ozone and other oxidants, the ozone production efficiency, the OH reactivity, and the length of the reaction chain responsible for the formation of ozone and ROx. They are also affected by the aerosol burden in the atmosphere.
Qianqian Gao, Shengqiang Zhu, Kaili Zhou, Jinghao Zhai, Shaodong Chen, Qihuang Wang, Shurong Wang, Jin Han, Xiaohui Lu, Hong Chen, Liwu Zhang, Lin Wang, Zimeng Wang, Xin Yang, Qi Ying, Hongliang Zhang, Jianmin Chen, and Xiaofei Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 13049–13060, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13049-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-13049-2023, 2023
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Dust is a major source of atmospheric aerosols. Its chemical composition is often assumed to be similar to the parent soil. However, this assumption has not been rigorously verified. Dust aerosols are mainly generated by wind erosion, which may have some chemical selectivity. Mn, Cd and Pb were found to be highly enriched in fine-dust (PM2.5) aerosols. In addition, estimation of heavy metal emissions from dust generation by air quality models may have errors without using proper dust profiles.
Xiaodong Xie, Jianlin Hu, Momei Qin, Song Guo, Min Hu, Dongsheng Ji, Hongli Wang, Shengrong Lou, Cheng Huang, Chong Liu, Hongliang Zhang, Qi Ying, Hong Liao, and Yuanhang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 10563–10578, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10563-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-10563-2023, 2023
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The atmospheric age of particles reflects how long particles have been formed and suspended in the atmosphere, which is closely associated with the evolution processes of particles. An analysis of the atmospheric age of PM2.5 provides a unique perspective on the evolution processes of different PM2.5 components. The results also shed lights on how to design effective emission control actions under unfavorable meteorological conditions.
Zhouxing Zou, Qianjie Chen, Men Xia, Qi Yuan, Yi Chen, Yanan Wang, Enyu Xiong, Zhe Wang, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7057–7074, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7057-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7057-2023, 2023
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We present OH observation and model simulation results at a coastal site in Hong Kong. The model predicted the OH concentration under high-NOx well but overpredicted it under low-NOx conditions. This implies an insufficient understanding of OH chemistry under low-NOx conditions. We show evidence of missing OH sinks as a possible cause of the overprediction.
Yishuo Guo, Chenjuan Deng, Aino Ovaska, Feixue Zheng, Chenjie Hua, Junlei Zhan, Yiran Li, Jin Wu, Zongcheng Wang, Jiali Xie, Ying Zhang, Tingyu Liu, Yusheng Zhang, Boying Song, Wei Ma, Yongchun Liu, Chao Yan, Jingkun Jiang, Veli-Matti Kerminen, Men Xia, Tuomo Nieminen, Wei Du, Tom Kokkonen, and Markku Kulmala
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6663–6690, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6663-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6663-2023, 2023
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Using the comprehensive datasets, we investigated the long-term variations of air pollutants during winter in Beijing from 2019 to 2022 and analyzed the characteristics of atmospheric pollution cocktail during different short-term special events (e.g., Beijing Winter Olympics, COVID lockdown and Chinese New Year) associated with substantial emission reductions. Our results are useful in planning more targeted and sustainable long-term pollution control plans.
Jinlong Ma, Shengqiang Zhu, Siyu Wang, Peng Wang, Jianmin Chen, and Hongliang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4311–4325, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4311-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4311-2023, 2023
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An updated version of the CMAQ model with biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions from MEGAN was applied to study the impacts of different land cover inputs on O3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in China. The estimated BVOC emissions ranged from 25.42 to 37.39 Tg using different leaf area index (LAI) and land cover (LC) inputs. Those differences further induced differences of 4.8–6.9 ppb in O3 concentrations and differences of 5.3–8.4 µg m−3 in SOA concentrations in China.
Peng Wang, Ruhan Zhang, Shida Sun, Meng Gao, Bo Zheng, Dan Zhang, Yanli Zhang, Gregory R. Carmichael, and Hongliang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2983–2996, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2983-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2983-2023, 2023
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In China, the number of vehicles has jumped significantly in the last decade. This caused severe traffic congestion and aggravated air pollution. In this study, we developed a new temporal allocation approach to quantify the impacts of traffic congestion. We found that traffic congestion worsens air quality and the health burden across China, especially in the urban clusters. More effective and comprehensive vehicle emission control policies should be implemented to improve air quality in China.
Men Xia, Xiang Peng, Weihao Wang, Chuan Yu, Zhe Wang, Yee Jun Tham, Jianmin Chen, Hui Chen, Yujing Mu, Chenglong Zhang, Pengfei Liu, Likun Xue, Xinfeng Wang, Jian Gao, Hong Li, and Tao Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 15985–16000, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15985-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-15985-2021, 2021
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ClNO2 is an important precursor of chlorine radical that affects photochemistry. However, its production and impact are not well understood. Our study presents field observations of ClNO2 at three sites in northern China. These observations provide new insights into nighttime processes that produce ClNO2 and the significant impact of ClNO2 on secondary pollutions during daytime. The results improve the understanding of photochemical pollution in the lower part of the atmosphere.
Peng Wang, Juanyong Shen, Men Xia, Shida Sun, Yanli Zhang, Hongliang Zhang, and Xinming Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 10347–10356, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10347-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-10347-2021, 2021
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Ozone (O3) pollution has received extensive attention due to worsening air quality and rising health risks. The Chinese National Day holiday (CNDH), which is associated with intensive commercial and tourist activities, serves as a valuable experiment to evaluate the O3 response during the holiday. We find sharply increasing trends of observed O3 concentrations throughout China during the CNDH, leading to 33 % additional total daily deaths.
Lian Zong, Yuanjian Yang, Meng Gao, Hong Wang, Peng Wang, Hongliang Zhang, Linlin Wang, Guicai Ning, Chao Liu, Yubin Li, and Zhiqiu Gao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 9105–9124, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9105-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-9105-2021, 2021
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In recent years, summer O3 pollution over eastern China has become more serious, and it is even the case that surface O3 and PM2.5 pollution can co-occur. However, the synoptic weather pattern (SWP) related to this compound pollution remains unclear. Regional PM2.5 and O3 compound pollution is characterized by various SWPs with different dominant factors. Our findings provide insights into the regional co-occurring high PM2.5 and O3 levels via the effects of certain meteorological factors.
Jinlong Ma, Juanyong Shen, Peng Wang, Shengqiang Zhu, Yu Wang, Pengfei Wang, Gehui Wang, Jianmin Chen, and Hongliang Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7343–7355, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7343-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7343-2021, 2021
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Due to the reduced anthropogenic emissions during the COVID-19 lockdown, mainly from the transportation and industrial sectors, PM2.5 decreased significantly in the whole Yangtze River Delta (YRD) and its major cities. However, the contributions and relative importance of different source sectors and regions changed differently, indicating that control strategies should be adjusted accordingly for further pollution control.
Junjun Deng, Hao Guo, Hongliang Zhang, Jialei Zhu, Xin Wang, and Pingqing Fu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 14419–14435, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14419-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-14419-2020, 2020
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One-year source apportionment of BC aerosols in a coastal city in China was conducted with the light-absorption observation-based method and source-oriented model. Source contributions identified by the two source apportionment methods were compared. Temporal variability, potential sources and transport pathways of BC from fossil fuel and biomass burning were characterized. Significant influence of biomass burning in North and East–Central China on BC in the region was highlighted.
Zhihao Shi, Lin Huang, Jingyi Li, Qi Ying, Hongliang Zhang, and Jianlin Hu
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 20, 13455–13466, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13455-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-20-13455-2020, 2020
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Meteorological conditions play important roles in the formation of O3 and PM2.5 pollution in China. O3 is most sensitive to temperature and the sensitivity is dependent on the O3 chemistry formation or loss regime. PM2.5 is negatively sensitive to temperature, wind speed, and planetary boundary layer height and positively sensitive to humidity. The results imply that air quality in certain regions of China is sensitive to climate changes.
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Short summary
We studied changes in air quality in India induced by the COVID-19 lockdown through both surface observations and the CMAQ model. Our results show that emission reductions improved the air quality across India during the lockdown. On average, the levels of PM2.5 and O3 decreased by 28 % and 15 %, indicating positive effects of lockdown measures. We suggest that more stringent and localized emission control strategies should be implemented in India to mitigate air pollutions.
We studied changes in air quality in India induced by the COVID-19 lockdown through both surface...
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