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Source apportionment of PM2.5 during different haze episodes by PMF and random forest method based on hourly measured atmospheric pollutant

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Abstract

Hourly measured PM2.5-bound species, gases, and meteorological data were analyzed by the PMF receptor model to quantify source contributions, and by the random forest to estimate decisive factors of variations of PM2.5, sulfur oxidation ratio (SOR), and nitrogen oxidation ratio (NOR) during different haze episodes. PM2.5 variation was influenced by CO (17%), SO2 (19%), NH3 (12%), O3 (10%), air pressure (P, 9.9%), and temperature (T, 10%) during the whole period. SOR was determined by SO2 (15%), temperature (T, 9.8%), relative humidity (RHU, 15%), and pondus hydrogenii (pH, 35%), and NOR was influenced by NOx (19%), O3 (14%), NH3 (13%), and RHU (15%). Three types of pollution episodes were captured. Process I was characterized by high CO (contributing 40% of PM2.5 concentration variation estimated by the random forest) due to coal combustion for heating during winter in northern China. According to the PMF, coal combustion (32%) and secondary sources (38%) were both the most important contributors in the first stage, and then, when the RHU increased to above 80%, the highest contribution was from secondary sources (40%). Process II was during the Spring Festival and was characterized by 8.8 μg m−3 firework contribution. High SO2 during this process, especially on the CNY’s Eve, was observed due to the firework displays, and SO2 gave a high contribution (24%) to PM2.5 variation. Process III showed high ions and high RHU in summer with sulfate and nitrate contributing 44% and 22%, respectively. Furthermore, meteorological parameters and NH3 play a key role on SOR and NOR.

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Funding

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (91544226 and 41977181) and Tianjin Science and Technology Program (18ZXSZSF00160).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Urban Air Particulate Matter Pollution Prevention and Control, College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Xin Du, Junwei Yang, Yingze Tian & Yinchang Feng

  2. Tianjin Environment Monitoring Center, Tianjin, 300071, China

    Zhimei Xiao & Kui Chen

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  1. Xin Du
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  2. Junwei Yang
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  3. Zhimei Xiao
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  4. Yingze Tian
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  5. Kui Chen
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  6. Yinchang Feng
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Contributions

Junwei Yang, Zhimei Xiao, and Kui Chen performed the experiments.

Xin Du made the figures. Xin Du and Yingze Tian wrote the paper. All the authors contributed to the submitted version of the manuscript. Yingze Tian and Yinchang Feng acquired the funding.

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Correspondence to Yingze Tian or Yinchang Feng.

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Du, X., Yang, J., Xiao, Z. et al. Source apportionment of PM2.5 during different haze episodes by PMF and random forest method based on hourly measured atmospheric pollutant. Environ Sci Pollut Res 28, 66978–66989 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-021-14487-0

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