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Zheng X, Liu J, Zhong B, Wang Y, Wu Z, Chuduo N, Ba B, Yuan X, Fan M, Cao F, Zhang Y, Chen W, Zhou L, Ma N, Yu P, Li J, Zhang G. Insights into anthropogenic impact on atmospheric inorganic aerosols in the largest city of the Tibetan Plateau through multidimensional isotope analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 929:172643. [PMID: 38649049 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Particulate inorganic nitrogen aerosols (PIN) significantly influence air pollution and pose health risks worldwide. Despite extensive observations on ammonium (pNH4+) and nitrate (pNO3-) aerosols in various regions, their key sources and mechanisms in the Tibetan Plateau remain poorly understood. To bridge this gap, this study conducted a sampling campaign in Lhasa, the Tibetan Plateau's largest city, with a focus on analyzing the multiple isotopic signatures (δ15N, ∆17O). These isotopes were integrated into a Bayesian mixing model to quantify the source contributions and oxidation pathways for pNH4+ and pNO3-. Our results showed that traffic was the largest contributor to pNH4+ (31.8 %), followed by livestock (25.4 %), waste (21.8 %), and fertilizer (21.0 %), underscoring the impact of vehicular emissions on urban NH3 levels in Lhasa. For pNO3-, coal combustion emerged as the largest contributor (27.3 %), succeeded by biomass burning (26.3 %), traffic emission (25.3 %), and soil emission (21.1 %). In addition, the ∆17O-based model indicated a dominant role of NO2 + OH (52.9 %) in pNO3- production in Lhasa, which was similar to previous observations. However, it should be noted that the NO3 + volatile organic component (VOC) contributed up to 18.5 % to pNO3- production, which was four times higher than the Tibetan Plateau's background regions. Taken together, the multidimensional isotope analysis performed in this study elucidates the pronounced influence of anthropogenic activities on PIN in the atmospheric environment of Lhasa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueqin Zheng
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Junwen Liu
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China.
| | - Bingqian Zhong
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Yujing Wang
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China
| | - Zeyan Wu
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Nima Chuduo
- Lhasa Meteorological Administration, Lhasa 850010, China
| | - Bian Ba
- Lhasa Meteorological Administration, Lhasa 850010, China
| | - Xin Yuan
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Meiyi Fan
- School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Fang Cao
- School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Yanlin Zhang
- School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Weihua Chen
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Luxi Zhou
- Guangzhou Institute of Tropical and Marine Meteorology, Meteorological Administration, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Nan Ma
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Pengfei Yu
- Institute for Environmental and Climate Research, Jinan University, Guangzhou 511443, China
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
| | - Gan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry and Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510640, China
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Xiao H, Ji C, Ding S, Li X. Strategic control of combustion-induced ammonia emissions: A key initiative for substantial PM 2.5 reduction in Tianjin, North China Plain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 928:172328. [PMID: 38614324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.172328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/15/2024]
Abstract
Information on the temporal and spatial variations in the sources of ammonium salts (NH4+), a crucial alkaline component in PM2.5, is limited. Here, we simultaneously collected PM2.5 and gaseous ammonia (NH3) samples in both summer and winter from two sites in Tianjin: an urban site (Tianjin University, TJU) and a suburban site (Binhai New-region, BH). NH3 concentrations, the contents of major water-soluble inorganic ions in PM2.5, and the compositions of ammonium‑nitrogen isotopes (δ15N-NH4+) were measured. As a result, (NH4)2SO4 and NH4NO3 were the predominant forms of NH4+ in PM2.5 during summer and winter, respectively. However, the NH4NO3 concentrations were notably greater at TJU (6.2 ± 7.3 μg m-3) than at BH (3.8 ± 4.7 μg m-3) in summer, with no regional differences observed in winter. Both sites displayed almost half the contribution of c-NH3 (combustion-related NH3) to NH4+, differing from the finding of previous isotope-based studies. This discrepancy could be attributed to the combined effects of NHx isotope fractionation and seasonal δ15N value variations in NH3 sources. The contribution fractions of v-NH3 (volatile NH3) and c-NH3 exhibited similar patterns at both sites seasonally, probably caused by coal combustion for heating in winter and temperature fluctuations. However, the contribution fraction of c-NH3 was lower at BH than at TJU in summer but greater in winter than at TJU. In summer, NH4NO3 was unstable and limited its delivery to TJU from BH, and the high contribution of c-NH3 to NH4+ at TJU could be attributed to local vehicle emissions. In winter, the stable particulate NH4NO3 that formed from the c-NH3 in the upwind area could be transported to the downwind area, increasing the NH4+ concentration at BH. Our study provides valuable insights for devising emission mitigation strategies to alleviate the increasing burden of NH3 in the local atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Xiao
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China; Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Chuanwen Ji
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shiyuan Ding
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xiaodong Li
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China.
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3
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Li Z, Xiao H, Walters WW, Hastings MG, Min J, Song L, Lu W, Wu L, Yan W, Liu S, Fang Y. Nitrogen isotopic characteristics of aerosol ammonium in a Chinese megacity indicate the reduction from vehicle emissions during the lockdown period. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 922:171265. [PMID: 38417516 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
The role of agricultural versus vehicle emissions in urban atmospheric ammonia (NH3) remains unclear. The lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19 provided an opportunity to assess the role of source emissions on urban NH3. Concentrations and δ15N of aerosol ammonium (NH4+) were measured before (autumn in 2017) and during the lockdown (summer, autumn, and winter in 2020), and source contributions were quantified using SIAR. Despite the insignificant decrease in NH4+ concentrations, significantly lower δ15N-NH4+ was found in 2020 (0.6 ± 1.0‰ in PM2.5 and 1.4 ± 2.1‰ in PM10) than in 2017 (15.2 ± 6.7‰ in PM2.5), which indicates the NH3 from vehicle emissions has decreased by∼50% during the lockdown while other source emissions are less affected. Moreover, a reversed seasonal pattern of δ15N-NH4+ during the lockdown in Changsha has been revealed compared to previous urban studies, which can be explained by the dominant effect of non-fossil fuel emissions due to the reductions of vehicle emissions during the lockdown period. Our results highlight the effects of lockdown on aerosol δ15N-NH4+ and the importance of vehicle emissions to urban atmospheric NH3, providing conclusive evidence that reducing vehicle NH3 emissions could be an effective strategy to reduce PM2.5 in Chinese megacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengjie Li
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Hongwei Xiao
- School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Wendell W Walters
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Meredith G Hastings
- Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
| | - Juan Min
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Linlin Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Liaoning Province 110016, China
| | - Weizhi Lu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Libin Wu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wende Yan
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China
| | - Shuguang Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Applied Technology of Forestry & Ecology in Southern China, College of Biological Science and Technology, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha, Hunan 410004, China.
| | - Yunting Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Liaoning Province 110016, China; Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning 110016, China.
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Wu L, Wang P, Zhang Q, Ren H, Shi Z, Hu W, Chen J, Xie Q, Li L, Yue S, Wei L, Song L, Zhang Y, Wang Z, Chen S, Wei W, Wang X, Zhang Y, Kong S, Ge B, Yang T, Fang Y, Ren L, Deng J, Sun Y, Wang Z, Zhang H, Hu J, Liu CQ, Harrison RM, Ying Q, Fu P. Dominant contribution of combustion-related ammonium during haze pollution in Beijing. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2024; 69:978-987. [PMID: 38242834 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 12/08/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Aerosol ammonium (NH4+), mainly produced from the reactions of ammonia (NH3) with acids in the atmosphere, has significant impacts on air pollution, radiative forcing, and human health. Understanding the source and formation mechanism of NH4+ can provide scientific insights into air quality improvements. However, the sources of NH3 in urban areas are not well understood, and few studies focus on NH3/NH4+ at different heights within the atmospheric boundary layer, which hinders a comprehensive understanding of aerosol NH4+. In this study, we perform both field observation and modeling studies (the Community Multiscale Air Quality, CMAQ) to investigate regional NH3 emission sources and vertically resolved NH4+ formation mechanisms during the winter in Beijing. Both stable nitrogen isotope analyses and CMAQ model suggest that combustion-related NH3 emissions, including fossil fuel sources, NH3 slip, and biomass burning, are important sources of aerosol NH4+ with more than 60% contribution occurring on heavily polluted days. In contrast, volatilization-related NH3 sources (livestock breeding, N-fertilizer application, and human waste) are dominant on clean days. Combustion-related NH3 is mostly local from Beijing, and biomass burning is likely an important NH3 source (∼15%-20%) that was previously overlooked. More effective control strategies such as the two-product (e.g., reducing both SO2 and NH3) control policy should be considered to improve air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Libin Wu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Peng Wang
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; IRDR ICoE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Hong Ren
- Air Environmental Modeling and Pollution Controlling Key Laboratory of Sichuan Higher Education Institute, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, China
| | - Zongbo Shi
- Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK
| | - Wei Hu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Jing Chen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Qiaorong Xie
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Linjie Li
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Siyao Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Lianfang Wei
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Linlin Song
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China
| | - Yonggen Zhang
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Zihan Wang
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Shuang Chen
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Wan Wei
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Xiaoman Wang
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; IRDR ICoE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Yanlin Zhang
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Shaofei Kong
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, School of Environmental Studies and Department of Environmental Science and Technology, School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Baozhu Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Ting Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Yunting Fang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China
| | - Lujie Ren
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Junjun Deng
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Yele Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Zifa Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Hongliang Zhang
- IRDR ICoE on Risk Interconnectivity and Governance on Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jianlin Hu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Atmospheric Environment and Equipment Technology, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Environment Monitoring and Pollution Control, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
| | - Cong-Qiang Liu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Roy M Harrison
- Division of Environmental Health & Risk Management, School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK; Department of Environmental Sciences/Center of Excellence in Environmental Studies, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah 21589, Saudi Arabia
| | - Qi Ying
- Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station TX 77843-3136, USA
| | - Pingqing Fu
- Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, School of Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China; State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
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5
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Peng L, Ti C, Yin B, Dong W, Li M, Tao L, Yan X. Traceability of atmospheric ammonia in a suburban area of the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 907:167935. [PMID: 37866588 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023]
Abstract
Ammonia (NH3) is one of the most important sources that have been linked to the formation of PM2.5. Therefore, it is important to study the source contributions to atmospheric NH3 for air pollution control. Here we used 15N natural abundance (expressed by δ15N) values to quantify the source contributions to atmospheric NH3 in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, which suffers from the country's worst air pollution. Results showed that from 2017 to 2019, the annual mean δ15N-NH3 value at the livestock site (-27.5 ± 6.0 ‰) was lower than at cropland (-20.7 ± 6.0 ‰) and rural residential sites (-22.1 ± 7.4 ‰), while their concentrations were the opposite. Seasonal mean δ15N-NH3 values were the highest in winter and lowest in summer, whereas monthly mean δ15N-NH3 values were the highest in January and lowest in June. The isotope mixing model results showed that agricultural sources account for 64.5 ± 13.5 % of year-round total NH3 emissions, while industrial and other sources contributed 27.4 and 8.1 %, respectively. However, the contribution of industrial sources was higher than that of agricultural sources in January. Our results indicated that the contribution of agricultural sources has decreased after the implementation of air pollution control policies in this region suggesting that NH3 abatement from agricultural sources is effective. However, further refinement of agricultural emission abatement measures will be required, accompanied by a greater focus on controlling winter non-agricultural sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Chaopu Ti
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Bin Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wenxu Dong
- Center for Agricultural Resources Research, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shijiazhuang 050021, China
| | - Miao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Limin Tao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Changshu National Agro-Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
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6
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Mgelwa AS, Zhu F, Huang D, Song L, Wang Y, Gurmesa GA, Wang A, Liu M, Huang S, Qiu Q, Sase H, Zhu W, Fang Y. Patterns and drivers of atmospheric inorganic nitrogen deposition in Northeast Asia. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 349:119343. [PMID: 37918232 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.119343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/04/2023]
Abstract
Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition due to intensified emissions of NH3 and NOx is a global problem with profound consequences on living organisms and the environment. Although N emission rates are currently considered to be high in East Asia, reports on the current N deposition level and composition are still limited, especially in northeastern China, where official N deposition monitoring sites are unavailable. This limits our understanding of the spatio-temporal N deposition patterns and their influencing factors at regional to continental scales. Here, we used data collected mostly during 2019 at 38 sites, comprising 7 sites in northeastern China and 31 EANET (Acid Deposition Monitoring Network in East Asia) sites in middle and east Russia, Mongolia, central and southern China, South Korea and Japan to explore the spatial-seasonal variations and drivers of ammonium and nitrate deposition across the Northeast Asia. Total bulk inorganic N (TIN) deposition was 3.7-24.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1 and NH4+-N/NO3--N ratio in the TIN was 0.8-2.8 in northeastern China. The bulk/wet TIN deposition averaged 7.5 kg N ha-1 yr-1 (predominantly in the form of ammonium-N: NH4+-N/NO3--N = 1.4) over the Northeast Asia region, with the highest rates being observed in northeastern China (11.6), as well as central and southern China (10.7), followed by east Russia, South Korea and Japan (5.6), and the lowest in middle Russia and Mongolia (1.5). This regional bulk/wet TIN deposition level is about twice of the wet TIN deposition level in Europe and the United States. The TIN deposition in summer and spring was 45-467% higher than in autumn and winter. Out of the ten land uses considered, only agricultural and urban land uses significantly positively correlated with NH4+-N and NO3--N deposition rates across all monitored sites. This study suggests that the ongoing agricultural and urban expansions are likely to enhance N deposition and its associated effects across global ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abubakari Said Mgelwa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; College of Natural Resources Management & Tourism, Mwalimu Julius K. Nyerere University of Agriculture & Technology, P.O. Box 976, Musoma, Tanzania
| | - Feifei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Dan Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Linlin Song
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Yingying Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Geshere Abdisa Gurmesa
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Ang Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Miao Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China
| | - Shaonan Huang
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Air Pollution Prevention and Ecological Security (Henan University), Kaifeng, 475004, China
| | - Qingyan Qiu
- Forest Ecology & Stable Isotope Center, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China
| | - Hiroyuki Sase
- Asia Center for Air Pollution Research, 1182, Sowa Nishi-ku, Niigata-shi, 950-2144, Japan
| | - Weixing Zhu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Binghamton University, The State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Yunting Fang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Key Laboratory of Stable Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang, Liaoning, 110016, China; Qingyuan Forest CERN, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China.
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7
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Li Y, Liu J, George C, Herrmann H, Gu M, Yang M, Wang Y, Mellouki A, Pan Y, Felix JD, Kawashima H, Zhang Z, Wang S, Zeng Y. Apportioning Atmospheric Ammonia Sources across Spatial and Seasonal Scales by Their Isotopic Fingerprint. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:16424-16434. [PMID: 37844023 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c04027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2023]
Abstract
Mitigating ammonia (NH3) emissions is a significant challenge, given its well-recognized role in the troposphere, contributing to secondary particle formation and impacting acid rain. The difficulty arises from the highly uncertain attribution of atmospheric NH3 to specific emission sources, especially when accounting for diverse environments and varying spatial and temporal scales. In this study, we established a refined δ15N fingerprint for eight emission sources, including three previously overlooked sources of potential importance. We applied this approach in a year-long case study conducted in urban and rural sites located only 40 km apart in the Shandong Peninsula, North China Plain. Our findings highlight that although atmospheric NH3 concentrations and seasonal trends exhibited similarities, their isotopic compositions revealed significant distinctions in the primary NH3 sources. In rural areas, although agriculture emerged as the dominant emission source (64.2 ± 19.5%), a previously underestimated household stove source also played a considerably greater role, particularly during cold seasons (36.5 ± 12.5%). In urban areas, industry and traffic (33.5 ± 15.6%) and, surprisingly, sewage treatment (27.7 ± 11.3%) associated with high population density were identified as the major contributors. Given the relatively short lifetime of atmospheric NH3, our findings highlight the significance of the isotope approach in offering a more comprehensive understanding of localized and seasonal influences of NH3 sources compared to emissions inventories. The refined isotopic fingerprint proves to be an effective tool in distinguishing source contributions across spatial and seasonal scales, thereby providing valuable insights for the development of emission mitigation policies aimed at addressing the increasing NH3 burden on the local atmosphere.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongzhi Li
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Jing Liu
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Christian George
- Université Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, IRCELYON, Villeurbanne 69626, France
| | - Hartmut Herrmann
- Atmospheric Chemistry Department (ACD), Leibniz-Institute for Tropospheric Research (TROPOS), Leipzig 04318, Germany
- Shandong University Chamber Laboratory, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Mengna Gu
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Muhan Yang
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yanjun Wang
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Abdelwahid Mellouki
- Institut de Combustion Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement (ICARE), Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Orléans 45071, France
- College of Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Ben Guerir, Rehamna 43150, Morocco
| | - Yuepeng Pan
- State Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Physics and Atmospheric Chemistry (LAPC), Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Joseph David Felix
- Department of Physical and Environmental Science, Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, Texas 78412, United States
| | - Hiroto Kawashima
- Department of Bioscience and Engineering, College of Systems Engineering and Science, Shibaura Institute of Technology, Saitama 337-8570, Japan
| | - Zhongyi Zhang
- School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Shuguang Wang
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
| | - Yang Zeng
- Sino-French Research Institute for Ecology and Environment, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China
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Wang H, Zhang L. Trends of inorganic sulfur and nitrogen species at an urban site in western Canada (2004-2018). ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2023; 333:122079. [PMID: 37343916 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2023.122079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
A 15-year (2004-2018) record of measurement data of gaseous and particulate sulfur and nitrogen pollutants in air collected at an urban site in Burnaby in western Canada was analyzed for generating their decadal trends using three different methods, including linear regression, Mann-Kendall test and Theil-Sen trend estimator (MK-TS), and ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD). Annual mean concentration of SO2 and SO42- decreased by about 59% and 42%, respectively, during the 15-year period. The slower decreases of SO42- than SO2 were mainly caused by the increased O3 concentration and temperature in spring and summer, which promoted conversion of SO2 to SO42- through gas-phase reaction, and by the increased aerosol pH value and availability of H2O2 in winter, which enhanced aqueous-phase SO42- formation. Accordingly, the sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR) increased by 23% or more in spring, summer, and winter during the 15-year period. Annual mean concentrations of NO2 and NO3- declined by 36% and 38%, respectively, during this period. On seasonal basis, NO3- decreased faster than NO2 in autumn and slower in winter. The non-linear responses of NO3- to NO2 concentration decreases were more evident in winter than the other seasons, partly due to the increased particulate NO3- fraction caused by decreased temperature, increased aerosol pH value, and enhanced NO3- formation caused by increased O3 concentrations. Annual mean concentration of NH3 showed small increases due to stable NH3 emission and reduced conversion of NH3 to NH4+. NH4+ concentration decreased by 51% during the 15-year period. These results suggest that reduced oxidants levels are likely responsible for weakened formation of secondary inorganic aerosols, besides emission reductions for SO2 and NO2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huanbo Wang
- School of Environment and Resource, Southwest University of Science and Technology, Mianyang, 621010, China
| | - Leiming Zhang
- Air Quality Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Toronto, M3H 5T4, Canada.
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Deng J, Nie W, Huang X, Ding A, Qin B, Fu C. Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen Deposition from 2010 to 2021 in Lake Taihu and the Effects on Phytoplankton. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2023; 57:8075-8084. [PMID: 37184340 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.2c09434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The effects of nitrogen deposition reduction on nutrient loading in freshwaters have been widely studied, especially in remote regions. However, understanding of the ecological effects is still rather limited. Herein, we re-estimated nitrogen deposition, both of wet and dry deposition, in Lake Taihu with monthly monitoring data from 2010 to 2021. Our results showed that the atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (namely NH4+ and NO3-) in Lake Taihu was 4.94-11.49 kton/yr, which equaled 13.9%-27.3% of the riverine loading. Dry deposition of NH4+ and NO3- contributed 53.1% of the bulk deposition in Lake Taihu. Ammonium was the main component of both wet and dry deposition, which may have been due to the strong agriculture-related activities around Lake Taihu. Nitrogen deposition explained 24.9% of the variation in phytoplankton community succession from 2010 to 2021 and was the highest among all the environmental factors. Atmospheric deposition offset the effects of external nitrogen reduction during the early years and delayed the emergence of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial dominance in Lake Taihu. Our results implied that a decrease in nitrogen deposition due to a reduction in fertilizer use, especially a decrease in NH4+ deposition, could limit diatoms and promote non-nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterial dominance, followed by nitrogen-fixing taxa. This result was also applied to other shallow eutrophic lakes around the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, where significant reduction of fertilizer use recorded during the last decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianming Deng
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Wei Nie
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Xin Huang
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Aijun Ding
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Boqiang Qin
- Taihu Laboratory for Lake Ecosystem Research, State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Congbin Fu
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210023, China
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