Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics
ACP
Articles | Volume 23, issue 7
Articles | Volume 23, issue 7
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4149-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4149-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Articles | Volume 23, issue 7
Research article
 | Highlight paper
 | 
05 Apr 2023
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 05 Apr 2023

Foreign emissions exacerbate PM2.5 pollution in China through nitrate chemistry

Jun-Wei Xu, Jintai Lin, Gan Luo, Jamiu Adeniran, and Hao Kong

Viewed

Total article views: 9,948 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
8,566 1,262 120 9,948 377 144 197
  • HTML: 8,566
  • PDF: 1,262
  • XML: 120
  • Total: 9,948
  • Supplement: 377
  • BibTeX: 144
  • EndNote: 197
Views and downloads (calculated since 26 Sep 2022)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 26 Sep 2022)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 9,948 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 9,948 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 

Cited

Saved (final revised paper)

Latest update: 23 Jun 2026
Download
Editorial statement
This paper investigates the influence of internationally-transported pollution on China, with a specific highlight on the formation of secondary PM2.5 in the form of nitrate. While sources from within China have traditionally been of most interest for domestic air quality policy, these have diminished over recent years, so sources from outside China may become more significant. The topic of transboundary exchange of air pollution has long been studied in other parts of the world, in particular among CLRTAP signatory countries in North America and Europe, but East Asian transboundary pollution represents a different challenge, in part owing to differences in geography and emissions, but also compared to Europe in particular, the transportation scales are much larger. This work not only quantifies the impacts of long distance pollution on Chinese air quality, but also highlights the complex chemical interactions between the local and transboundary pollutants. Papers such as this will likely influence the debate regarding international controls of air pollutants.
Read more
Short summary
Research on the sources of Chinese PM2.5 pollution has focused on the contributions of China’s domestic emissions. However, the impact of foreign anthropogenic emissions has typically been simplified or neglected. Here we find that foreign anthropogenic emissions play an important role in Chinese PM2.5 pollution through chemical interactions between foreign-transported pollutants and China’s local emissions. Thus, foreign emission reductions are essential for improving Chinese air quality.
Read more
Share
Altmetrics
Final-revised paper
Preprint