Abstract
Northeast China experiences severe atmospheric pollution, with an increasing occurrence of heavy haze episodes. However, the underlying forces driving haze formation during different seasons are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the spatio-temporal characteristics and causes of haze events in Northeast China by combining a range of data sources (i.e., ground monitoring, satellite-based products, and meteorological products). It was found that the ‘Shenyang-Changchun-Harbin (SCH)’city belt was the most polluted area in the region on an annual scale. The spatial distribution of air quality index (AQI) values had a clear seasonality, with the worst pollution occurring in winter, an approximately oval-shaped polluted area around western Jilin Province in spring, and the best air quality occurring in summer and most of the autumn. The three periods that typically experienced intense haze events were Period I from mid-October to mid-November (i.e., late autumn and early winter), Period II from late-December to February (i.e., the coldest time in winter), and Period III from April to mid-May (i.e., spring). During Period I, strong PM2.5 emissions from seasonal crop residue burning and coal burning for winter heating were the dominant reasons for the occurrence of extreme haze events (AQI > 300). Period II had frequent heavy haze events (200 < AQI < 300) in the coldest months of January and February, which were due to high PM2.5 emissions from coal burning and vehicle fuel consumption, a lower atmospheric boundary layer, and stagnant atmospheric conditions. Haze events in Period III, with high PM10 concentrations, were primarily caused by the regional transportation of windblown dust from degraded grassland in central Inner Mongolia and bare soil in western Jilin Province. Local agricultural tilling could also release PM10 and enhance the levels of windblown dust from tilled soil. Better control of coal burning, fuel consumption, and crop residue burning in winter and autumn is urgently needed to address the haze problem in Northeast China.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Chalvatzaki E, Glytsos T, Lazaridis M, 2015. A methodology for the determination of fugitive dust emissions from landfill sites. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 25(5): 551–569. doi: 10.1080/09603123.2014.989491
Chan C K, Yao X H, 2008. Air pollution in mega cities in China. Atmospheric Environment, 42(1): 1–42. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2007.09.003
Chen W, Wang F S, Xiao G F et al., 2015. Air quality of Beijing and impacts of the new ambient air quality standard. Atmosphere, 6(8): 1243–1258. doi: 10.3390/atmos6081243
Chen W, Tang H Z, Zhao H M, 2016. Urban air quality evaluations under two versions of the national ambient air quality standards of China. Atmospheric Pollution Research, 7(1): 49–57. doi: 10.1016/j.apr.2015.07.004
Chen W W, Tong D Q, Dan M et al., 2017. Typical atmospheric haze during crop harvest season in northeastern China: a case in the Changchun region. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 54: 101–113. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2016.03.031
Fang C H, Zhang Z D, Jin M Y et al., 2017. Pollution characteristics of PM2.5 aerosol during haze periods in Changchun, China. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 17(4): 888–895. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2016.09.0407
He K B, Huo H, Zhang Q, 2002. Urban air pollution in China: current status, characteristics, and progress. Annual Review of Energy and the Environment, 27: 397–431. doi: 10.1146/annurev.energy.27.122001.083421
Heal M R, Kumar P, Harrison R M, 2012. Particles, air quality, policy and health. Chemical Society Reviews, 41(19): 6606–6630. doi: 10.1039/C2CS35076A
Huang L K, Wang K, Yuan C S et al., 2010. Study on the seasonal variation and source apportionment of PM10 in Harbin, China. Aerosol and Air Quality Research, 10(1): 86–93. doi: 10.4209/aaqr.2009.04.0025
Li J, Bo Y, Xie S D, 2016. Estimating emissions from crop residue open burning in China based on statistics and MODIS fire products. Journal of Environmental Sciences, 44: 158–170. doi: 10.1016/j.jes.2015.08.024
Liu Qin, 2015. Review of coal control measures for heavy air pollution in Northeast China. Environmental Education, 12: 17–18. (in Chinese)
Long X, Tie X X, Cao J J et al., 2016. Impact of crop field burning and mountains on heavy haze in the North China Plain: a case study. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16(15): 9675–9691. doi: 10.5194/acp-16-9675-2016
Marcazzan G M, Vaccaro S, Valli G et al., 2001. Characterisation of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter in the ambient air of Milan (Italy). Atmospheric Environment, 35(27): 4639–4650. doi: 10.1016/S1352-2310(01)00124-8
National Agricultural Work Conference, 2013. China Agriculture Yearbook 2013. Beijing: China Agriculture Press. (in Chinese)
National Bureau of Statistics of the People’s Republic of China, 2013. China Statistical Yearbook 2013. Beijing: China Statistic Press. (in Chinese)
Shen G F, Yuan S Y, Xie Y N et al., 2014. Ambient levels and temporal variations of PM2.5 and PM10 at a residential site in the mega-city, Nanjing, in the western Yangtze River Delta, China. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A, 49(2): 171–178. doi: 10.1080/10934529.2013.838851
Shen L, Liu L T, Yao Z J et al., 2010. Development potentials and policy options of biomass in China. Environmental Management, 46(4): 539–554. doi: 10.1007/s00267-010-9476-4
Wang H L, Qiao L P, Luo S R et al., 2015. PM2.5 pollution episode and its contributors from 2011 to 2013 in urban Shanghai, China. Atmospheric Environment, 123: 298–305. doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2015.08.018
Wang J, Christopher S A, 2003. Intercomparison between satellite-derived aerosol optical thickness and PM2.5 mass: implications for air quality studies. Geophysical Research Letters, 30(21): 2095. doi: 10.1029/2003GL018174
Xu P, Chen Y F, Ye X J, 2013. Haze, air pollution, and health in China. The Lancet, 382(9910): 2067. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)62693-8
Yang Junchao, Zhou Zuhuan, Zhang Guojun et al., 2016. Atmospheric particulate matter emissions of road and building construction dust estimation and prevention measures in Baise. Popular Science & Technology, 18(8): 29–31. (in Chinese)
Zhang X L, Zhou Q Q, Chen W W et al., 2015. Observation and modeling of black soil wind-blown erosion from cropland in northeastern China. Aeolian Research, 19: 153–162. doi: 10.1016/j.aeolia.2015.07.009
Zhao H M, Zhang X L, Zhang S C et al., 2017. Effects of agricultural biomass burning on regional haze in China: a review. Atmosphere, 8(5): 88. doi: 10.3390/atmos8050088
Zhou J B, Wang T G, Huang Y B et al., 2005. Size distribution of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in urban and suburban sites of Beijing, China. Chemosphere, 61(6): 792–799. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2005.04.002
Zhou Qinqian, Zhang Shichun, Chen Weiwei et al., 2014. Pollution characteristics and sources of SO2, O3 and NOx in Changchun. Research of Environmental Sciences, 27(7): 768–774. (in Chinese)
Zhu Fahua, Wang Sheng, Zheng Youfei, 2004. NOx emitting current situationand forecast from thermal power plants and countermeasures. Energy Environmental Protection, 18(1): 1–5. (in Chinese)
Zhu Fahua, Wang Sheng, Meng Lingyuan, 2016. Emission reduction potential and the necessity of implementation about ultra-low emission in coal-fired sector. Environmental Protection, 44(7): 42–46. (in Chinese)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Additional information
Foundation item: Under the auspices of National Key R & D Program of China (No. 2017YFC0212303, 2017YFC0212304, 2017YFC0212301), Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. QYZDB-SSW-DQC045), Youth Innovation Promotion Association of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. 2017275), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41775116, 41771071, 41575129)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Chen, W., Zhang, S., Tong, Q. et al. Regional Characteristics and Causes of Haze Events in Northeast China. Chin. Geogr. Sci. 28, 836–850 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0965-3
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11769-018-0965-3