Optical emission inventory of carbonaceous aerosol from the residential sector in China

Abstract

The residential sector in China is a major contributor to light-absorbing carbonaceous aerosols, including black carbon and brown carbon, which have significant impacts on climate change. This study developed a province-level inventory of optical emissions of carbonaceous aerosols from the residential sector in China from 1960 to 2019. The inventory was based on activity data from the PKU-GEMS database and absorption emission factors derived from laboratory-based combustion experiments, which reduced uncertainties associated with traditional mass-based methods relying on mass absorption efficiency. The dataset provided annual light absorption at the ultraviolet region (370 nm) and the infrared region (880 nm), offering valuable insights into the spatial and temporal trends of optical emissions from residential carbonaceous aerosols. This inventory would support more accurate evaluations of radiative forcing impacts of carbonaceous aerosols.