Articles | Volume 24, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-1509-2024
© Author(s) 2024. 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-24-1509-2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
31 Jan 2024
Research article |
| 31 Jan 2024
| 31 Jan 2024
Variations of the atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon concentrations, sources, and health risk and the direct medical costs of lung cancer around the Bohai Sea against a background of pollution prevention and control in China
Wenwen Ma
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
Rong Sun
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Xiaoping Wang
Ludong University, Yantai, 264025, China
Zheng Zong
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shizhen Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
Zeyu Sun
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
Chongguo Tian
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Jianhui Tang
CAS Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Shandong Key Laboratory of Coastal Environmental Processes, Yantai Shandong, 264003, China
Song Cui
International Joint Research Center for Persistent Toxic Substances (IJRC-PTS), School of Water Conservancy and Civil Engineering, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
Gan Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China
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Caiqing Yan, Haibiao Chen, Buqing Xu, Gan Zhang, Bin Jiang, Qinglong Fu, Ruiyu Li, Xuehua Zhou, and Mei Zheng
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5498, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5498, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Relative humidity (RH) affects brown carbon (BrC) light absorption and radiative forcing, but this relationship is still unclear. Using field observations across wide RH and pollution ranges with molecular-level measurements, this study shows that RH non-linearly affects water-soluble BrC absorption, with magnitude varying by pollution level. Molecular analysis reveals the mechanisms, improving understanding of BrC radiative effects and aiding humidity-dependent absorption in climate models.
Xiaocong Peng, Wei Song, Guohua Zhang, Qinhao Lin, Jianlin Cheng, Yang Li, Xinru Huang, Baoyi Chen, Jianzhong Song, Yingjun Chen, Gan Zhang, Ping’an Peng, Xinming Wang, and Xinhui Bi
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5314, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-5314, 2026
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
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Burning biomass releases black carbon (BC), but its precursors are unclear. We burned two fuels at three temperatures, measuring particles, gases, and BC. Furans, oxygenated aromatics, single-ring aromatics, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons correlated with BC in the particle phase. Higher temperatures boosted BC—not by producing more precursors, but by converting them efficiently. Different fuels also produced distinct molecular fingerprints. These explain why BC emissions vary so much.
Muhammad Abrar Faiz, Liangliang Zhang, Dong Liu, Qiang Fu, Mo Li, Xiaochen Qi, Tianxiao Li, and Song Cui
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4696, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-4696, 2026
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Water availability is changing in ways that are not always gradual. This study examined whether places are becoming wetter, drier, or shifting between the two by tracking changes in water gained from rain and lost through evaporation and river flow. The results show that drying still affects many regions, but many areas are also shifting between wet and dry conditions. This helps identify where future water risks may grow, especially in drylands and northern regions.
Yuchen Li, Zheng Zong, Xiaoping Wang, Xiaolan Shi, Zeyu Sun, Zhineng Cheng, Ziyang Zhang, Xuehua Yin, Zhifeng Lou, Rong Sun, Roland Kallenborn, and Chongguo Tian
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3299, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-3299, 2026
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Long-term measurements at Tuoji Island show that fine-particle pollution in coastal North China is not characterised solely by mass decline under emission controls. Primary-combustion and sulfate signals weakened, but nitrate was increasingly amplified in high-PM2.5 samples, pointing to a growing need for coordinated control of NOx and NH3, with attention to VOC-related oxidation chemistry and humid cold-season conditions.
Jiao Tang, Shujie Hu, Xiao Wang, Jiaqi Wang, Shaojun Lv, Xiaofei Geng, Guangcai Zhong, Yangzhi Mo, Surat Bualert, Jun Li, Shizhen Zhao, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 8341–8353, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8341-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-8341-2026, 2026
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Water-soluble organic nitrogen (WSON) in coastal aerosols is critical for atmospheric chemistry and climate processes. This Bangkok study found sea-spray aerosol (SSA) is an important contributor to coastal aerosol WSON under marine air, its contribution surging from 3.8 % (continental) to 34 %. SSA-associated WSON strongly correlated (r=0.96) with trajectory-based air-mass exposure to chlorophyll-a, which is consistent with marine-biogenic enhancement.
Chongguo Tian, Xuehua Yin, Xuena Yang, Xiaoxia Yu, Zhengjie Li, Zheng Zong, Xinpeng Tian, Yuchen Li, Roland Kallenborn, and Yi-Fan Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 5799–5811, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5799-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5799-2026, 2026
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This study explores the neglected role of atmospheric deposition in δ15N4a-3s (δ15N difference between NH4+ and source NH3), a key parameter in atmospheric NH4+ source tracing. We develop an integrated model coupling these two processes and find that the difference in δ15N4a-3s between the combined effect and the pure fractionation scenario increases with f (NH4+/NHx molar ratio). This work provides a new idea for precise NH4+ source partitioning.
Pingyang Li, Boji Lin, Zhineng Cheng, Jing Li, Jun Li, Duohong Chen, Tao Zhang, Run Lin, Sanyuan Zhu, Jun Liu, Yujun Lin, Shizhen Zhao, Guangcai Zhong, Zhenchuan Niu, Ping Ding, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 26, 5085–5122, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5085-2026, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-26-5085-2026, 2026
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Our study indicates fossil fuel CO2 (CO2ff) reductions in Chinese megacities via atmospheric Δ(14CO2) and δ(13CO2) measurements, driven by coal-to-gas transitions and combustion efficiency improvement. The 24-year record show steeper declined urban RCO/CO2ff ratios than inventory estimates, implying underestimation of efficiency improvements and CO reductions. Integrating top-down observations with inventories is critical to track policy-driven emission shifts and optimize co-benefit strategies.
Tao Cao, Cuncun Xu, Hao Chen, Jianzhong Song, Jun Li, Haiyan Song, Bin Jiang, Yin Zhong, and Ping'an Peng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 11597–11610, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11597-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-11597-2025, 2025
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This study investigated the evolution of biomass and water-soluble organic matter (WSOM) derived from coal combustion during an aqueous photochemical process. The results indicate that photochemical aging induces distinct changes in the optical and molecular properties of WSOM. More pronounced alterations were observed during OH photooxidation than direct photolysis. Our results also demonstrate that atmospheric photooxidation may represent a significant source of black-carbon-like substances.
Pingyang Li, Boji Lin, Zhihua Zhou, Jing Li, Zhineng Cheng, Jun Li, Sanyuan Zhu, Shizhen Zhao, Guangcai Zhong, and Gan Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3882, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3882, 2025
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Urban areas exhibit high carbon footprints yet significant mitigation potential, requiring precise quantification of CO2 sources for effective carbon budgeting. While previous studies focused predominantly on fossil fuel CO2, biogenic CO2 (CO2bio) dynamics remain less understood. Here we show that Δ14CO2 tracers – combined with multi-source data – enable partitioning of CO2bio into three components and identification of their seasonal drivers, advancing our understanding of urban carbon budgets.
Yuying Wu, Yuhan Wang, Wenzheng Yang, Jie Zhang, Yanhong Wu, Jun Li, Gan Zhang, and Haijian Bing
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 17, 4779–4797, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4779-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-17-4779-2025, 2025
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We developed a large, open-access dataset of mountain soil chemistry in China, based on over 1,300 samples from 166 sites across diverse climates and vegetation types. The dataset includes concentrations of 24 elements and key environmental variables like temperature, rainfall, and soil properties. This dataset offers a valuable resource for studying mountain ecosystems, supporting Earth system modeling, and predicting how soils respond to environmental change.
Zihan Song, Leiming Zhang, Chongguo Tian, Qiang Fu, Zhenxing Shen, Renjian Zhang, Dong Liu, and Song Cui
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13101–13113, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13101-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13101-2024, 2024
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A novel concept integrating crop cycle information into fire spot extraction was proposed. Spatiotemporal variations of open straw burning in Northeast China are revealed. Open straw burning in Northeast China emitted a total of 218 Tg of CO2-eq during 2001–2020. The policy of banning straw burning effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions.
Fan Zhang, Binyu Xiao, Zeyu Liu, Yan Zhang, Chongguo Tian, Rui Li, Can Wu, Yali Lei, Si Zhang, Xinyi Wan, Yubao Chen, Yong Han, Min Cui, Cheng Huang, Hongli Wang, Yingjun Chen, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 8999–9017, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8999-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-8999-2024, 2024
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Mandatory use of low-sulfur fuel due to global sulfur limit regulations means large uncertainties in volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions. On-board tests of VOCs from nine cargo ships in China were carried out. Results showed that switching from heavy-fuel oil to diesel increased emission factor VOCs by 48 % on average, enhancing O3 and the secondary organic aerosol formation potential. Thus, implementing a global ultra-low-sulfur oil policy needs to be optimized in the near future.
Yangzhi Mo, Jun Li, Guangcai Zhong, Sanyuan Zhu, Shizhen Zhao, Jiao Tang, Hongxing Jiang, Zhineng Cheng, Chongguo Tian, Yingjun Chen, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7755–7772, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7755-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7755-2024, 2024
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In this study, we found that biomass burning (31.0 %) and coal combustion (31.1 %) were the dominant sources of water-insoluble organic carbon in China, with coal combustion sources exhibiting the strongest light-absorbing capacity. Additionally, we propose a light-absorbing carbonaceous continuum, revealing that components enriched with fossil sources tend to have stronger light-absorbing capacity, higher aromaticity, higher molecular weights, and greater recalcitrance in the atmosphere.
Zeyu Sun, Zheng Zong, Yang Tan, Chongguo Tian, Zeyu Liu, Fan Zhang, Rong Sun, Yingjun Chen, Jun Li, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 12851–12865, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12851-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-12851-2023, 2023
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This is the first report of ship-emitted nitrogen stable isotope composition (δ15N) of nitrogen oxides (NOx). The results showed that δ15N–NOx from ships was −18.5 ± 10.9 ‰ and increased monotonically with tightening emission regulations. The selective catalytic reduction system was the most vital factor. The temporal variation in δ15N–NOx was evaluated and can be used to select suitable δ15N–NOx for a more accurate assessment of the contribution of ship-emitted exhaust to atmospheric NOx.
Xiangyun Zhang, Jun Li, Sanyuan Zhu, Junwen Liu, Ping Ding, Shutao Gao, Chongguo Tian, Yingjun Chen, Ping'an Peng, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 7495–7502, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7495-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-7495-2023, 2023
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The results show that 14C elemental carbon (EC) was not only related to the isolation method but also to the types and proportions of the biomass sources in the sample. The hydropyrolysis (Hypy) method, which can be used to isolate a highly stable portion of ECHypy and avoid charring, is a more effective and stable approach for the matrix-independent 14C quantification of EC in aerosols, and the 13C–ECHypy and non-fossil ECHypy values of SRM1649b were –24.9 ‰ and 11 %, respectively.
Tingting Li, Jun Li, Zeyu Sun, Hongxing Jiang, Chongguo Tian, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 6395–6407, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6395-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-6395-2023, 2023
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N-NH4+ and N-NO3- were vital components in nitrogenous aerosols and contributed 69 % to total nitrogen in PM2.5. Coal combustion was still the most important source of urban atmospheric NO3-. However, the non-agriculture sources play an increasingly important role in NH4+ emissions.
Jiao Tang, Jun Li, Shizhen Zhao, Guangcai Zhong, Yangzhi Mo, Hongxing Jiang, Bin Jiang, Yingjun Chen, Jianhui Tang, Chongguo Tian, Zheng Zong, Jabir Hussain Syed, Jianzhong Song, and Gan Zhang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-403, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2023-403, 2023
Preprint archived
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This study provides a comprehensive molecular identification of atmospheric common fluorescent components and deciphers their related formation pathways. The fluorescent components varied in molecular composition, and a dominant oxidation pathway for the formation of humic-like fluorescent components was suggested, notwithstanding their different precursor types. Our findings are expected to be helpful to further studies using the EEM-PARAFAC as a tool to study atmospheric BrC.
Tao Cao, Meiju Li, Cuncun Xu, Jianzhong Song, Xingjun Fan, Jun Li, Wanglu Jia, and Ping'an Peng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 2613–2625, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2613-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-2613-2023, 2023
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This work comprehensively investigated the fluorescence data of light-absorbing organic compounds, water-soluble organic matter in different types of aerosol samples, soil dust, and fulvic and humic acids using an excitation–emission matrix (EEM) method and parallel factor modeling. The results revealed which light-absorbing species can be detected by EEM and also provided important information for identifying the chemical composition and possible sources of these species in atmospheric samples.
Buqing Xu, Jiao Tang, Tiangang Tang, Shizhen Zhao, Guangcai Zhong, Sanyuan Zhu, Jun Li, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 1565–1578, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1565-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-1565-2023, 2023
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We analyzed compound-specific dual-carbon isotope signatures (Δ14C and δ13C) of dominant secondary organic aerosol (SOA) tracer molecules (i.e., oxalic acid) to investigate the fates of SOAs in the atmosphere at five emission hotspots in China. The results indicated that SOA carbon sources and chemical processes producing SOAs vary spatially and seasonally, and these variations need to be included in Chinese climate projection models and air quality management practices.
Chunlin Zou, Tao Cao, Meiju Li, Jianzhong Song, Bin Jiang, Wanglu Jia, Jun Li, Xiang Ding, Zhiqiang Yu, Gan Zhang, and Ping'an Peng
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 963–979, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-963-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-963-2023, 2023
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In this study, PM2.5 samples were obtained during a winter haze event in Guangzhou, China, and light absorption and molecular composition of humic-like substances (HULIS) were investigated by UV–Vis spectrophotometry and ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry. The findings obtained present some differences from the results reported in other regions of China and significantly enhanced our understanding of HULIS evolution during haze bloom-decay processes in the subtropic region of southern China.
Hongxing Jiang, Jun Li, Jiao Tang, Min Cui, Shizhen Zhao, Yangzhi Mo, Chongguo Tian, Xiangyun Zhang, Bin Jiang, Yuhong Liao, Yingjun Chen, and Gan Zhang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 22, 6919–6935, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6919-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-22-6919-2022, 2022
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We conducted field observation employing Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry to characterize the molecular composition and major formation pathways or sources of organosulfur compounds in Guangzhou, where is heavily influenced by biogenic–anthropogenic interactions and has high relative humidity and temperature. We suggested that heterogeneous reactions such as SO2 uptake and heterogeneous oxidations are important to the molecular variations of organosulfur compounds.
Shichao Tian, Birgit Gaye, Jianhui Tang, Yongming Luo, Wenguo Li, Niko Lahajnar, Kirstin Dähnke, Tina Sanders, Tianqi Xiong, Weidong Zhai, and Kay-Christian Emeis
Biogeosciences, 19, 2397–2415, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2397-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2397-2022, 2022
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We constrain the nitrogen budget and in particular the internal sources and sinks of nitrate in the Bohai Sea by using a mass-based and dual stable isotope approach based on δ15N and δ18O of nitrate. Based on available mass fluxes and isotope data an updated nitrogen budget is proposed. Compared to previous estimates, it is more complete and includes the impact of the interior cycle (nitrification) on the nitrate pool. The main external nitrogen sources are rivers contributing 19.2 %–25.6 %.
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Short summary
This is the first report of long-term atmospheric PAH monitoring around the Bohai Sea. The results showed that the concentrations of PAHs in the atmosphere around the Bohai Sea decreased from June 2014 to May 2019, especially the concentrations of highly toxic PAHs. This indicates that the contributions from PAH sources changed to a certain extent in different areas, and it also led to reductions in the related health risk and medical costs following pollution prevention and control.
This is the first report of long-term atmospheric PAH monitoring around the Bohai Sea. The...
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