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Citation
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HERO ID
3454551
Reference Type
Journal Article
Title
Reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water as a source of sulfate during haze events in China
Author(s)
Cheng, Y; Zheng, G; Wei, C; Mu, Q; Zheng, B; Wang, Z; Gao, M; Zhang, Q; He, K; Carmichael, G; Pöschl, U; Su, H
Year
2016
Is Peer Reviewed?
1
Journal
Science Advances
EISSN:
2375-2548
Volume
2
Issue
12
Page Numbers
e1601530
Language
English
PMID
28028539
DOI
10.1126/sciadv.1601530
Web of Science Id
WOS:000391268800017
Abstract
Fine-particle pollution associated with winter haze threatens the health of more than 400 million people in the North China Plain. Sulfate is a major component of fine haze particles. Record sulfate concentrations of up to ~300 μg m(-3) were observed during the January 2013 winter haze event in Beijing. State-of-the-art air quality models that rely on sulfate production mechanisms requiring photochemical oxidants cannot predict these high levels because of the weak photochemistry activity during haze events. We find that the missing source of sulfate and particulate matter can be explained by reactive nitrogen chemistry in aerosol water. The aerosol water serves as a reactor, where the alkaline aerosol components trap SO2, which is oxidized by NO2 to form sulfate, whereby high reaction rates are sustained by the high neutralizing capacity of the atmosphere in northern China. This mechanism is self-amplifying because higher aerosol mass concentration corresponds to higher aerosol water content, leading to faster sulfate production and more severe haze pollution.
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LitSearch-NOx (2024)
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