Articles | Volume 25, issue 16
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-9263-2025
© Author(s) 2025. 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-25-9263-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Measurement report
| 
26 Aug 2025
Measurement report |
| 26 Aug 2025
| 26 Aug 2025
Measurement report: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated (RPAHs), nitrated (NPAHs), and oxygenated (OPAHs) derivatives in the global marine atmosphere – occurrence, spatial variations, and source apportionment
Rui Li
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), 20 Cuiniao Road, Chenjia Town, Chongming District, Shanghai, 202162, China
Xing Liu
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
Yubing Shen
Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
Yumeng Shao
Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
Yining Gao
Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
Ziwei Yao
State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Coastal Ecosystem, National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, Dalian, 116023, China
Xi Liu
Agilent Technologies (China) Ltd., Inc., Beijing, 100102, China
Key Laboratory of Geographic Information Science of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200241, China
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Kaitao Chen, Zheng Li, Rui Li, Luyao Chen, Rongjie Li, Binyu Xiao, Shaojun Lv, Can Wu, Rui Li, Junke Zhang, and Gehui Wang
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During winter haze in Chengdu, water-soluble organic nitrogen compounds shift from gas to particles, with concentrations more than doubling. The main driver is particle water content, not acidity or temperature. As particles absorb water, they take up these compounds, fueling aerosol growth. This study reveals how nitrogen-rich organic aerosols form in humid air, aiding pollution control strategies.
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We present a global, gridded dataset (1 km resolution) of consumption-based deforestation carbon emissions for the period 2001 to 2020. Our dataset shows that deforestation emissions embodied in international trade account for 31.8 % of global deforestation emissions. It provides spatially explicit information to support analyses of consumption-driven deforestation emissions and inform climate mitigation and policy assessments.
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The History of Anthropogenic Phosphorus Inputs (HaPi) provides a dataset of global human-driven phosphorus fluxes to terrestrial biosphere from 1860–2020 at a resolution of 5-arcmin. This comprehensive dataset consists of phosphorus fertilizer/manure application to cropland, manure application/deposition to pasture, manure deposition to rangeland, and atmospheric phosphorus deposition. It supports analyses of nutrient budgets and provides essential forcing data for Earth system models.
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In both of historical and future scenarios, Sub-Sahara Africa (SS) and South America (SA) showed the highest fire-sourced maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) O3 concentrations. However, the crop production losses (CPL) caused by O3 exposure reached the highest values in China. The emission control measures largely decreased the O3 damage to crop in China instead of SS and SA.
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Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 13007–13018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13007-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13007-2025, 2025
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We predicted global variations in atmospheric nine hazardous trace metal levels and assess their responses to COVID-19 lockdown measures. The rise in Pb and Zn concentrations during lockdowns was primarily linked to sustained coal combustion and non-ferrous smelting activities. The reduced emissions of Pb and As during the lockdown period yielded the greatest health benefits. Targeting fossil fuel combustion should be prioritized in Pb and As mitigation strategies.
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Intermediate-volatility/semi-volatile organic compounds in gas and particle phases from ship exhausts are enhanced due to the switch of fuels from low sulfur to ultra-low sulfur. The findings indicate that optimization is necessary for the forthcoming global implementation of an ultra-low-sulfur oil policy. Besides, we find that organic diagnostic markers of hopanes in conjunction with the ratio of octadecanoic to tetradecanoic could be considered potential tracers for heavy fuel oil exhausts.
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Box modeling with the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) was used to explore summertime peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) formation and its link to aerosol pollution under high-ozone conditions. The MCM model is effective in the study of PAN photochemical formation and performed better during the clean period than the haze period. Machine learning analysis identified ammonia, nitrate, and fine particulate matter as the top three factors contributing to simulation bias.
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Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) from acetone photooxidation in the presence of various seeds were studied to illustrate SOA formation kinetics under ammonia-rich conditions. The oxidation mechanism of acetone was investigated using an observation-based model incorporating a Master Chemical Mechanism model. A higher SOA yield of acetone was observed compared to methylglyoxal due to an enhanced uptake of the small photooxidation products of acetone.
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We conducted α-pinene photooxidation experiments in an atmospheric chamber at different NOx concentrations. The increased distribution coefficient of the oxidation products between the aerosol and gas phases with NOx was responsible for the increased SOA yields with NOx under low-NOx conditions. We also found the fraction of SOA made up of nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs) increased with NOx.
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This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP).
Short summary
Short summary
During winter haze in Chengdu, water-soluble organic nitrogen compounds shift from gas to particles, with concentrations more than doubling. The main driver is particle water content, not acidity or temperature. As particles absorb water, they take up these compounds, fueling aerosol growth. This study reveals how nitrogen-rich organic aerosols form in humid air, aiding pollution control strategies.
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Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-243, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2026-243, 2026
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
We present a global, gridded dataset (1 km resolution) of consumption-based deforestation carbon emissions for the period 2001 to 2020. Our dataset shows that deforestation emissions embodied in international trade account for 31.8 % of global deforestation emissions. It provides spatially explicit information to support analyses of consumption-driven deforestation emissions and inform climate mitigation and policy assessments.
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Preprint archived
Short summary
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Ancient air trapped in ice bubbles is a valuable archive for studying past climates. However, trapped air can be altered by gas loss through pumping in laboratory. We quantified the characteristics of this loss for the first time based on controlled ice pumping experiments. We discovered that O2 and Ar escape simultaneously through ice microcracks. Crucially, we found that gas loss corrections considering both O2 and Ar significantly reduced data scatter, recovering clearer climate signals.
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EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-769, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-769, 2026
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Volcanic eruptions can significantly affect the Earth's climate. Reconstructing past volcanic history can provide valuable information for climate modeling. Our study provides a new volcanic record from Dome A, the highest ice dome in Antarctica. Using this record and three other volcanic records from Antarctica, the prominent volcanic events, the change in volcanic frequency and flux, and the variation of snow accumulation rates at Dome A over the past 4000 years are investigated.
Ningning Sun, Xu Yu, Jian Zhen Yu, Bo Zhang, Yilan Li, Ye Hu, Zhe Li, Zhenlou Chen, and Guitao Shi
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Short summary
Short summary
Atmospheric particles over the ocean contain organic nitrogen, affecting climate and ecosystems. This first pole-to-pole study of marine air reveals a strong latitudinal divide, with higher concentrations in the polluted Northern Hemisphere. A key discovery is that air influenced by Antarctic sea ice is enriched in organic nitrogen, revealing a major natural source. Our new dataset improves climate models by clarifying how human emissions and natural processes shape the atmosphere.
Zihao Bian, Hao Shi, Rui Li, Fei Lun, Francesco Tubiello, Nathaniel Mueller, Shiyu You, Rong Hao, Jiageng Ma, Longhui Li, Changchun Huang, Bing He, Yuanzhi Yao, and Hanqin Tian
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-507, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-507, 2025
Preprint under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
The History of Anthropogenic Phosphorus Inputs (HaPi) provides a dataset of global human-driven phosphorus fluxes to terrestrial biosphere from 1860–2020 at a resolution of 5-arcmin. This comprehensive dataset consists of phosphorus fertilizer/manure application to cropland, manure application/deposition to pasture, manure deposition to rangeland, and atmospheric phosphorus deposition. It supports analyses of nutrient budgets and provides essential forcing data for Earth system models.
Rui Li, Yumeng Shao, Dongmei Tang, Yining Gao, and Hongfang Zhao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 14501–14511, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14501-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-14501-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
In both of historical and future scenarios, Sub-Sahara Africa (SS) and South America (SA) showed the highest fire-sourced maximum daily 8 h average (MDA8) O3 concentrations. However, the crop production losses (CPL) caused by O3 exposure reached the highest values in China. The emission control measures largely decreased the O3 damage to crop in China instead of SS and SA.
Wenwen Sun, Xing Liu, and Rui Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 13007–13018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13007-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-13007-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We predicted global variations in atmospheric nine hazardous trace metal levels and assess their responses to COVID-19 lockdown measures. The rise in Pb and Zn concentrations during lockdowns was primarily linked to sustained coal combustion and non-ferrous smelting activities. The reduced emissions of Pb and As during the lockdown period yielded the greatest health benefits. Targeting fossil fuel combustion should be prioritized in Pb and As mitigation strategies.
Binyu Xiao, Fan Zhang, Zeyu Liu, Yan Zhang, Rui Li, Can Wu, Xinyi Wan, Yi Wang, Yubao Chen, Yong Han, Min Cui, Libo Zhang, Yingjun Chen, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 7053–7069, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7053-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-7053-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Intermediate-volatility/semi-volatile organic compounds in gas and particle phases from ship exhausts are enhanced due to the switch of fuels from low sulfur to ultra-low sulfur. The findings indicate that optimization is necessary for the forthcoming global implementation of an ultra-low-sulfur oil policy. Besides, we find that organic diagnostic markers of hopanes in conjunction with the ratio of octadecanoic to tetradecanoic could be considered potential tracers for heavy fuel oil exhausts.
Baoye Hu, Naihua Chen, Rui Li, Mingqiang Huang, Jinsheng Chen, Youwei Hong, Lingling Xu, Xiaolong Fan, Mengren Li, Lei Tong, Qiuping Zheng, and Yuxiang Yang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 25, 905–921, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-905-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-905-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Box modeling with the Master Chemical Mechanism (MCM) was used to explore summertime peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) formation and its link to aerosol pollution under high-ozone conditions. The MCM model is effective in the study of PAN photochemical formation and performed better during the clean period than the haze period. Machine learning analysis identified ammonia, nitrate, and fine particulate matter as the top three factors contributing to simulation bias.
Si Zhang, Yining Gao, Xinbei Xu, Luyao Chen, Can Wu, Zheng Li, Rongjie Li, Binyu Xiao, Xiaodi Liu, Rui Li, Fan Zhang, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 14177–14190, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14177-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-14177-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Secondary organic aerosols (SOAs) from acetone photooxidation in the presence of various seeds were studied to illustrate SOA formation kinetics under ammonia-rich conditions. The oxidation mechanism of acetone was investigated using an observation-based model incorporating a Master Chemical Mechanism model. A higher SOA yield of acetone was observed compared to methylglyoxal due to an enhanced uptake of the small photooxidation products of acetone.
Anyao Jiang, Xin Meng, Yan Huang, and Guitao Shi
The Cryosphere, 18, 5347–5364, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5347-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-5347-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Landlocked lakes are crucial to the Antarctic ecosystem and sensitive to climate change. Limited research on their distribution prompted us to develop an automated detection process using deep learning and multi-source satellite imagery. This allowed us to accurately determine the landlocked lake open water (LLOW) area in Antarctica, generating high-resolution time series data. We find that the changes in positive and negative degree days predominantly drive variations in the LLOW area.
Xinbei Xu, Yining Gao, Si Zhang, Luyao Chen, Rongjie Li, Zheng Li, Rui Li, and Gehui Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3046, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3046, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
This work systematically explained the nonlinear effect of NOx level on isoprene-SOA mass yield through a series of chamber experiments. We found that the turning point under various oxidants was smaller than previous reported in the presence of OH precursors, which could be attributed to the RO2 pathway competition in nucleation and condensation of low volatile products. The highest SOA yield was at a branching ratio β of 0.5, which can be used as a reference for field campaign and modeling.
Can Wu, Xiaodi Liu, Ke Zhang, Si Zhang, Cong Cao, Jianjun Li, Rui Li, Fan Zhang, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 9263–9275, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9263-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-9263-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Brown carbon (BrC) is prevalent in the troposphere and can efficiently absorb solar and terrestrial radiation. Our observations show that the enhanced light absorption of BrC relative to black carbon at the tropopause can be attributed to the formation of nitrogen-containing organic compounds through the aqueous-phase reactions of carbonyls with ammonium.
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
Short summary
Short summary
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.
Shijie Liu, Xinbei Xu, Si Zhang, Rongjie Li, Zheng Li, Can Wu, Rui Li, Guiqin Zhang, and Gehui Wang
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1599, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1599, 2024
Preprint archived
Short summary
Short summary
We conducted α-pinene photooxidation experiments in an atmospheric chamber at different NOx concentrations. The increased distribution coefficient of the oxidation products between the aerosol and gas phases with NOx was responsible for the increased SOA yields with NOx under low-NOx conditions. We also found the fraction of SOA made up of nitrogen-containing organic compounds (NOCs) increased with NOx.
Rui Li, Yining Gao, Lijia Zhang, Yubing Shen, Tianzhao Xu, Wenwen Sun, and Gehui Wang
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 7623–7636, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7623-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-7623-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
A three-stage model was developed to obtain the global maps of reactive nitrogen components during 2000–2100. The results implied that cross-validation R2 values of four species showed satisfactory performance (R2 > 0.55). Most reactive nitrogen components, except NH3, in China showed increases during 2000–2013. In the future scenarios, SSP3-7.0 (traditional-energy scenario) and SSP1-2.6 (carbon neutrality scenario) showed the highest and lowest reactive nitrogen component concentrations.
Zhengyi Hu, Wei Jiang, Yuzhen Yan, Yan Huang, Xueyuan Tang, Lin Li, Florian Ritterbusch, Guo-Min Yang, Zheng-Tian Lu, and Guitao Shi
The Cryosphere, 18, 1647–1652, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1647-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-18-1647-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
The age of the surface blue ice in the Grove Mountains area is dated to be about 140 000 years, and one meteorite found here is 260 000 years old. It is inferred that the Grove Mountains blue-ice area holds considerable potential for paleoclimate studies.
Rui Li, Yining Gao, Yubao Chen, Meng Peng, Weidong Zhao, Gehui Wang, and Jiming Hao
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 4709–4726, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4709-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-4709-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
A random forest model was used to isolate the effects of emission and meteorology to trace elements in PM2.5 in Tangshan. The results suggested that control measures facilitated decreases of Ga, Co, Pb, Zn, and As, due to the strict implementation of coal-to-gas strategies and optimisation of industrial structure and layout. However, the deweathered levels of Ca, Cr, and Fe only displayed minor decreases, indicating that ferrous metal smelting and vehicle emission controls should be enhanced.
Chaohao Ling, Lulu Cui, and Rui Li
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 23, 3311–3324, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3311-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3311-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
An ensemble machine-learning model coupled with chemical transport models (CTMs) was applied to assess the impact of COVID-19 on ambient benzene. The change ratio of the deweathered benzene concentration from the pre-lockdown to lockdown period was in the order of India (−23.6 %) > Europe (−21.9 %) > the United States (−16.2 %) > China (−15.6 %), which might be associated with local serious benzene pollution and substantial emission reduction in the industrial and transportation sectors.
Cited articles
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Short summary
We reveal for the first time the global variations of PAHs and derivatives in marine air. We found that marine aerosols in East China Sea (ECS) and Western Pacific (WP) were significantly affected by coal and engine combustion, while those in Bismarck Sea (BS) and East Australian Sea (EAS) were mainly influenced by wildfire and coal combustion. The Antarctic Ocean (AO) was dominated by biomass burning and local shipping emissions. This finding helps elucidate the mechanism of the global PAH cycle.
We reveal for the first time the global variations of PAHs and derivatives in marine air. We...
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