Ozone and related gaseous pollutants in the boundary layer of eastern China : overview of the recent measurements at a rural site

Abstract

We present a summary of the latest measurements of ozone (O₃) and primary air pollutants at a rural/agricultural site in the fast developing Yangtze Delta region of China. The results of this study show elevated levels of primary pollutants (CO, SO₂ and NO[sub x sup *]), which are about 1–5 times of those typically found in rural areas of North America and Europe. O₃ pollution events are frequently observed. CO and SO₂ levels are particularly high, resulting from the unique energy-use pattern in China. O₃ shows strong positive correlation with NO[sub x sup *] and CO during periods of high photochemical activity. The O₃-NO[sub x sup *] slope is comparable to the result from rural North America, but the O₃-CO slope is substantially smaller for the Chinese site. With the anticipation of rapid changes of atmospheric composition in China, long-term measurements of key air pollutants will be necessary for documenting their trends and for studying their environmental impacts. (See Article file for details of the abstract.)