Regional characteristics of spring Asian dust and its impact on aerosol chemistry over northern China

Abstract. TSP and PM_2.5 aerosol samples were synchronously collected at six sites along the transport pathway of dust storm from desert regions to coastal areas in the spring of 2004. The aerosol concentration and composition were measured to investigate the regional characteristics of spring Asian dust and its impact on aerosol chemistry over northern China. Based on the daily PM₁₀ concentrations in 13 cities, the northern China could be divided into five regions, i.e., Northern Dust Region, Northeastern Dust Region, Western Dust Region, Inland Passing Region, and Coastal Region. Northern Dust Region was characterized by high content of Ca and Northeastern Dust Region was characterized by low one instead. Northeastern Dust Region was a relatively clean area with the lowest concentrations of pollutants and secondary ions among all sites. Inland Passing Region and Coastal Region showed high concentrations of pollutants, of which As and Pb in Inland Passing Region, and Na⁺, SO₄²⁻ and NO₃⁻ in Coastal Region were the highest, respectively. The impact of dust on air quality was the greatest in the cities near source regions, and this impact decreased in the order of Yulin/Duolun > Beijing > Qingdao/Shanghai as the increase of transport distance. The spring Asian dust was inclined to affect the chemical components in coarse particles near source regions and those in fine particles in the cities far from source regions. Dust storm could mix significant quantities of pollutants on the pathway and carry them to the downwind cities or dilute the pollutants in the cities over northern China. Each dust episode corresponded to a low ratio of NO₃⁻/SO₄²⁻ with the lowest value appearing after the peak of dust storm. Asian dust played an important role in buffering and neutralizing the acidity of atmosphere in the cities over northern China, which could lead to the pH in the aerosols increase ~1 in spring.