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Atmospheric environmental capacity and urban atmospheric load in mainland China

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Abstract

Daily and annual average atmospheric environmental capacity coefficient (A-value) sequences for mainland China are calculated from hourly data recorded at 378 ground stations over 1975–2014. A-values at different recurrence intervals are calculated by fitting the sequences to Pearson type III distribution curves. Based on these A-values and source-sink balance (reference concentration 100 μg m−3), atmospheric environmental capacities at the recurrence intervals are calculated for all of mainland China and each provincial administrative region. The climate average atmospheric environmental capacity reference value for the entire mainland is 2.169×107 t yr−1. An urban atmospheric load index is defined for analyses of the impact of population density on the urban atmospheric environment. Analyses suggest that this index is also useful for differentiating whether air quality changes are attributable to varying meteorological conditions or variations of artificial emission rate. Equations guiding the control of unorganized emission sources are derived for preventing air quality deterioration during urban expansion and population concentration.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 41405136).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Severe Weather & Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry of CMA, Chinese Academy of Meteorological Sciences, Beijing, 100081, China

    DaHai Xu & Yu Wang

  2. National Climatic Center, Beijing, 100081, China

    Rong Zhu

Authors
  1. DaHai Xu
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  2. Yu Wang
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  3. Rong Zhu
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Correspondence to DaHai Xu.

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Xu, D., Wang, Y. & Zhu, R. Atmospheric environmental capacity and urban atmospheric load in mainland China. Sci. China Earth Sci. 61, 33–46 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-017-9099-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-017-9099-0

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