Articles | Volume 21, issue 11
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-8677-2021
© 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-21-8677-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
09 Jun 2021
Research article |
| 09 Jun 2021
| 09 Jun 2021
Substantial changes in gaseous pollutants and chemical compositions in fine particles in the North China Plain during the COVID-19 lockdown period: anthropogenic vs. meteorological influences
Rui Li
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China
Yilong Zhao
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China
Hongbo Fu
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China
Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, PR China
Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, PR China
Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology (CICAEET), Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, PR China
Meng Peng
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
School of Law of Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
Chunying Wang
Hebei Xianhe Environmental Protection Technology Co. Ltd, Shijiazhuang 050035, China
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35 citations as recorded by crossref.
- Chemical characteristics and sources of PM2.5 in Hohhot, a semi-arid city in northern China: insight from the COVID-19 lockdown H. Zhou et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-12153-2022
- The Variation in Chemical Composition and Source Apportionment of PM2.5 before, during, and after COVID-19 Restrictions in Zhengzhou, China J. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics12010081
- Measurement report: Rapid changes of chemical characteristics and health risks for highly time resolved trace elements in PM2.5 in a typical industrial city in response to stringent clean air actions R. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4709-2023
- Radiative effects and feedbacks of anthropogenic aerosols on boundary layer meteorology and fine particulate matter during the COVID-19 lockdown over China M. Liang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160767
- Process-Level Quantification on Opposite PM2.5 Changes during the COVID-19 Lockdown over the North China Plain L. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.3c00490
- Haze caused by NO oxidation under restricted residential and industrial activities in a mega city in the south of North China Plain Q. Ma et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2022.135489
- Characteristics and sources of carbonaceous aerosols in a semi-arid city: Quantifying anthropogenic and meteorological impacts P. Liu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.139056
- Regulation-driven changes in PM2.5 sources in China from 2013 to 2019, a critical review and trend analysis T. Zhang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173091
- Health risk of PM2.5-bound heavy metals in a megacity in South China: Comparison between before and after the outbreak of COVID-19 R. Wang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jes.2025.08.064
- Different Response Mechanisms of N‐Bearing Components to Emission Reduction Across China During COVID‐19 Lockdown Period R. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD039496
- Source-specific light absorption and radiative effects decreases and indications due to the lockdown Y. Qu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120600
- Unexpected rise of atmospheric secondary aerosols from biomass burning during the COVID-19 lockdown period in Hangzhou, China H. Xu et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119076
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- Stratospheric influences on surface ozone increase during the COVID-19 lockdown over northern China Z. Chen et al. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41612-023-00406-2
- Elemental composition of atmospheric PM10 during COVID-19 lockdown and recovery periods in Moscow (April–July 2020) A. Serdyukova et al. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10653-023-01698-2
- Air Quality Changes during the COVID-19 Lockdown in an Industrial City in North China: Post-Pandemic Proposals for Air Quality Improvement H. Niu et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811531
- Impact of COVID-19 restrictions on the concentration and source apportionment of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) across India L. Cui https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163443
- Different response characteristics of ambient hazardous trace metals and health impacts to global emission reduction W. Sun et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13007-2025
- Major ions and potentially toxic elements in atmospheric precipitation during the COVID-19 lockdown in Moscow megacity D. Vlasov et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101422
- Impact of Clean Air Policy on Criteria Air Pollutants and Health Risks Across China During 2013–2021 R. Li et al. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JD038939
- Characteristics of the long-term variations in sulfate–nitrate–ammonium aerosols in a coastal city in Northern China—Interpretability analysis from a machine learning perspective J. Huang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121245
- Chemical characteristics of submicron particles in the Yellow Sea of Korea using aircraft measurements during the 2019–2023 period J. Park et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.123148
- Source apportionment of PM2.5 before and after COVID-19 lockdown in an urban-industrial area of the Lisbon metropolitan area, Portugal C. Gamelas et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.uclim.2023.101446
- Atmospheric chemistry in East Asia determines the iron solubility of aerosol particles supplied to the North Pacific Ocean K. Sakata et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11087-2025
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- Assessment of COVID-19 effects on satellite-observed aerosol loading over China with machine learning H. Andersen et al. https://doi.org/10.1080/16000889.2021.1971925
- Variations of the source-specific health risks from elements in PM2.5 from 2018 to 2021 in a Chinese megacity X. Shang et al. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apr.2024.102092
- Why did ozone concentrations remain high during Shanghai's static management? A statistical and radical-chemistry perspective J. Zhu et al. https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8383-2024
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- Quantification of SO2 Emission Variations and the Corresponding Prediction Improvements Made by Assimilating Ground-Based Observations J. Mo et al. https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos13030470
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Saved (final revised paper)
Latest update: 23 Jun 2026
Short summary
Based on a random forest model, the strict lockdown measures significantly decreased primary components such as Cr (−67 %) and Fe (−61 %) in PM2.5 (p < 0.01), whereas the higher relative humidity (RH) and NH3 level and the lower air temperature (T) remarkably enhanced the production of secondary aerosol including SO42− (29 %), NO3− (29 %), and NH4+ (21 %) (p < 0.05). The natural experiment suggested that the NH3 emission should be strictly controlled.
Based on a random forest model, the strict lockdown measures significantly decreased primary...
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