Comparative analysis for the impacts of VOC subgroups and atmospheric oxidation capacity on O3 based on different observation-based methods at a suburban site in the North China Plain

The persistent O3 pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region remains unresolved, largely due to limited comprehension of O3-precursor relationship and photochemistry drivers. In this work, intraday O3 sensitivity evolution from VOC-limited (volatile organic compound) regime in the forenoon to transition regime in the late afternoon was inferred by relative incremental reactivity (RIR) in summer 2019 at Xianghe, a suburban site in BTH region, suggesting that VOC-focused control policy could combine with stringent afternoon NOx control. Then detailed impacts of VOC subgroups on O3 formation were further comprehensively quantified by parametric OH reactivity (KOH), O3 formation potential (OFP), as well as RIR weighted value and O3 formation path tracing (OFPT) approach based on photochemical box model. O3 episode days corresponded to stronger O3 formation, depicted by higher KOH (10.4 s-1), OFP (331.7 μg m-3), RIR weighted value (1.2), and F(O3)-OFPT (15.5 ppbv h-1). High proportions of isoprene and OVOCs (oxygenated VOCs) to the total KOH and the OFPT method were demonstrated whereas results of OFP and RIR-weighted presented extra great impacts of aromatics on O3 formation. The OFPT approach captured the process that has already happened and included final O3 response to the original VOC, thus reliable for replicating VOC impacts. The comparison results of the four methods showed similarities when utilizing KOH and OFPT methods, which reveals that the potential applicability of simple KOH for contingency VOC control and more complex OFPT method for detailed VOC- and source-oriented control during policy-making. To investigate propulsion of VOC-involved O3 photochemistry, atmospheric oxidation capacity (AOC) was quantified by two atmospheric oxidation indexes (AOI). Both AOIp_G (7.0 × 107 molec cm-3 s-1, potential AOC calculated by oxidation reaction rates) and AOIe_G (8.5 μmol m-3, estimated AOC given redox electron transfer for oxidation products) were stronger on O3 episode days, indicating that AOC promoted the radical cycling initiated from VOC oxidation and subsequent O3 production. Result-oriented AOIe_G reasonably characterized actual AOC inferred by good linear correlation between AOIe_G and O3 concentrations compared to process-oriented AOIp_G. Therefore, with continuous NOx abatement, AOIe_G should be considered to represent actual AOC, also O3-inducing ability.

Unraveling the O3-NOX-VOCs relationships induced by anomalous ozone in industrial regions during COVID-19 in Shanghai

The COVID-19 pandemic promoted strict restrictions to human activities in China, which led to an unexpected increase in ozone (O₃) regarding to nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) co-abatement in urban China. However, providing a quantitative assessment of the photochemistry that leads to O₃ increase is still challenging. Here, we evaluated changes in O₃ arising from photochemical production with precursors (NO_X and VOC_S) in industrial regions in Shanghai during the COVID-19 lockdowns by using machine learning models and box models. The changes of air pollutants (O₃, NO_X, VOCs) during the COVID-19 lockdowns were analyzed by deweathering and detrending machine learning models with regard to meteorological and emission effects. After accounting for effects of meteorological variability, we find increase in O₃ concentration (49.5%). Except for meteorological effects, model results of detrending the business-as-usual changes indicate much smaller reduction (-0.6%), highlighting the O₃ increase attributable to complex photochemistry mechanism and the upward trends of O₃ due to clear air policy in Shanghai. We then used box models to assess the photochemistry mechanism and identify key factors that control O₃ production during lockdowns. It was found that empirical evidence for a link between efficient radical propagation and the optimized O₃ production efficiency of NO_X under the VOC-limited conditions. Simulations with box models also indicate that priority should be given to controlling industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust while the VOCs and NO_X should be managed at a proper ratio in order to control O₃ in winter. While lockdown is not a condition that could ever be continued indefinitely, findings of this study offer theoretical support for formulating refined O₃ management in industrial regions in Shanghai, especially in winter.

Chemical drivers of ozone change in extreme temperatures in eastern China

Surface ozone pollution has become the biggest issue in China's air pollution since particulate matters have been improved in the atmosphere. Compared with normal winter/summer, extremely cold/hot weather sustained several days and nights by unfavorable meteorology is more impactful in this regard. However, ozone changes in extreme temperatures and their driving processes remain rarely understood. Here, we combine comprehensive observational data analysis and 0-D box models to quantify the contributions of different chemical processes and precursors to ozone change in these unique environments. Analyses of radical cycling indicate that temperature accelerates OH-HO₂-RO₂, optimizing ozone production efficiency in higher temperatures. The HO₂ + NO → OH + NO₂ reaction was the most influenced by temperature change, followed by OH + VOCs → HO₂/RO₂. Although most reactions in ozone formation increased with temperature, the increase in ozone production rates was greater than the rate of ozone loss, leading to a fast net ozone accumulation in heat waves. Our results also show that the ozone sensitivity regime is VOC-limited in extreme temperatures, highlighting the significance of volatile organic compound (VOC) control (particularly the control of alkenes and aromatics). In the context of global warming and climate change, this study helps us deeply understand ozone formation in extreme environments and design abatement policies for ozone pollution in such conditions.

Surface O3 photochemistry over the South China Sea: Application of a near-explicit chemical mechanism box model

A systematic field measurement was conducted at an island site (Wanshan Island, WSI) over the South China Sea (SCS) in autumn 2013. It was observed that mixing ratios of O₃ and its precursors (such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), nitrogen oxides (NO_x = NO + NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO)) showed significant differences on non-episode days and episode days. Additional knowledge was gained when a photochemical box model incorporating the Master Chemical Mechanism (PBM-MCM) was applied to further investigate the differences/similarities of O₃ photochemistry between non-episode and episode days, in terms of O₃-precursor relationship, atmospheric photochemical reactivity and O₃ production. The simulation results revealed that, from non-O₃ episode days to episode days, 1) O₃ production changed from both VOC and NO_x-limited (transition regime) to VOC-limited; 2) OH radicals increased and photochemical reaction cycling processes accelerated; and 3) both O₃ production and destruction rates increased significantly, resulting in an elevated net O₃ production over the SCS. The findings indicate the complexity of O₃ pollution over the SCS.

Modelling segregation effects of heterogeneous emissions on ozone levels in idealised urban street canyons: using photochemical box models

Air quality models include representations of pollutant emissions, which necessarily entail spatial averaging to reflect the model grid size; such averaging may result in significant uncertainties and/or systematic biases in the model output. This study investigates such uncertainties, considering ozone concentrations in idealised street canyons within the urban canopy. A photochemical model with grid-averaged emissions of street canyons is compared with a multiple-box model considering each canyon independently. The results reveal that the averaged, 'one-box' model may significantly underestimate true (independent canyon mean) ozone concentrations for typical urban areas, and that the performance of the averaged model is improved for more 'green' and/or less trafficked areas. Our findings also suggest that the trends of 2005-2020 in emissions, in isolation, reduce the error inherent in the averaged-emissions treatment. These new findings may be used to evaluate uncertainties in modelled urban ozone concentrations when grid-averaged emissions are adopted.