Lyu Yanli;Jaeger Carlo;Han Zhangang;Liu Lianyou;Shi Peijun;Wang Weiping;Yang Saini;Guo Lanlan;Zhang Guoming;Hu Xia;Guo Jing;Gao Yunliang;Yang Yanyan;Xiong Yiying;Wen Haiming;Liang Bo;Zhao Mengdi

[Lyu, Yanli; Jaeger, Carlo; Shi, Peijun; Wang, Weiping; Yang, Saini] Beijing Normal Univ, State Key Lab Earth Surface Proc & Resource Ecol, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Liu, Lianyou; Guo, Lanlan; Zhang, Guoming; Hu, Xia; Yang, Yanyan; Xiong, Yiying; Wen, Haiming; Liang, Bo; Zhao, Mengdi] Beijing Normal Univ, Minist Educ, Key Lab Environm Change & Nat Disaster, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Lyu, Yanli; Liu, Lianyou; Shi, Peijun; Wang, Weiping; Yang, Saini; Guo, Lanlan; Zhang, Guoming; Hu, Xia; Yang, Yanyan; Xiong, Yiying; Wen, Haiming; Liang, Bo; Zhao, Mengdi] Beijing Normal Univ, Acad Disaster Reduct & Emergency Management, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Jaeger, Carlo] Global Climate Forum, D-10178 Berlin, Germany.

[Han, Zhangang] Beijing Normal Univ, Sch Syst Sci, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Guo, Jing] Beijing Normal Univ, Coll Resources Sci & Technol, Beijing 100875, Peoples R China.

[Gao, Yunliang] Gen Res Inst Nonferrous Met, Beijing 100088, Peoples R China.

ABSTRACT:  Air pollutant emissions from agricultural burning are observed every year after harvest in China. While agriculture is not the main contributor to air pollution in China, agricultural activities can cause severe pollution events. Recognizing the key mechanisms involved in this process offers an opportunity to minimize pollution events caused by agricultural burning. In this paper, we review the meteorological conditions present during a selected air pollution episode and discuss those conditions using standard meteorological observations. The spatio-temporal variations of PM2.5 concentrations following agricultural burning in Beijing were measured from October 4 to October 7, 2013. This time period coincides with a Chinese public holiday and was selected because the influence of other anthropogenic emissions on air quality was strongly reduced during those days. As a result, we were able to identify the key sources and progress of a severe air pollution event. On October 4, average PM2.5 concentration in Beijing continuously increased from 49.7 mu g m(-3) at 1: 00 to 302.5 mu g m(-3) at 23: 00. Heavily polluted air (> 300 mu g m(-3)) initially appeared in southeastern Beijing on the afternoon of October 4. On October 5 and in the early morning of October 6, heavily polluted air masses moved into central Beijing, the inner suburbs, and the suburbs. From 0: 00 on October 6 to 15: 00 on October 7, the average PM2.5 concentration in Beijing decreased from 291.6 mu g m(-3) to 19.2 mu g m(-3). Active fire information derived from the MODIS sensors and back trajectory analysis show that field burning of agricultural residues after a harvest triggered and massively contributed to this severe air pollution event. The results improve our understanding of PM2.5 air pollution development processes, and they provide scientific support for the Chinese government to accelerate emission reductions from the field burning of agricultural residues.

Published in AEROSOL AND AIR QUALITY RESEARCH.2015,15(7):2525-2536, DOI: 10.4209/aaqr.2015.05.0369