Field Study in Peal River Delta

To study the cause of ozone pollution and poor visibility in western part of Hong Kong, a “super” chemistry site was set up and operated at Tai O on the Lantau Island for 16 months (September 2001- December 2002). An extensive list of trace gases and chemical and optical properties of aerosols have been measured.

This study has produced additional information on seasonal variation of O3, precursor gases and air-mass characteristics from the South China Sea and the industrialized Pearl River delta (Wang et al., 2005; Simpson et al., 2006) and revealed serious ozone and fine particle pollution (Wang and Kwok, 2003; Wang et al., 2003; Cheung et al., 2005; Zhang et al., 2007). Analysis of the observation using meteorological, statistical and chemical models showed an important role of sea-land breezes in the transport of air pollution (Ding et al., 2004), the dominating role of reactive aromatics (toluene and xylenes) in the formation of ozone (Zhang et al., 2007), and the major sources for these VOCs (Guo et al., 2006). The contribution of different aerosol components to the light extinction was evaluated indicating an important contribution of sulfate particles in reducing visibility (Cheung et al., 2005).

In spring and summer 2004, we extended the measurement to three sites in inland Guangdong Province (Guangzhou—urban site, Wanqingsha—sub-urban site in central Pearl River Estuary, and Qingyuan—a rural site in northern PRD). These studies help us to obtain a more complete picture of the source characteristics and photochemical pollution over the PRD. The field study in the inner PRD was conducted in collaboration with Zhongshan University.

Related References:

1. Guo, H. *, I. J. Simpson, A. J. Ding, T. Wang, S. M. Saunders, T. J. Wang, H. R. Cheng, B. Barletta, S. Meinardi, D. R. Blake, and F. S. Rowland. "Carbonyl Sulfide, Dimethyl Sulfide and Carbon Disulfide in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China: Impact of Anthropogenic and Biogenic Sources." Atmospheric Environment 44, no. 31 (Oct 2010): 3805-13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.06.040.
   
   
2. Guo, H. *, A. J. Ding, T. Wang, I. J. Simpson, D. R. Blake, B. Barletta, S. Meinardi, F. S. Rowland, S. M. Saunders, T. M. Fu, W. T. Hung, and Y. S. Li. "Source Origins, Modeled Profiles, and Apportionments of Halogenated Hydrocarbons in the Greater Pearl River Delta Region, Southern China." Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres 114 (Jun 2009): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2008jd011448.
   
   
3. Zhang, J., T. Wang *, W. L. Chameides, C. Cardelino, J. Kwok, D. R. Blake, A. Ding, and K. L. So. "Ozone Production and Hydrocarbon Reactivity in Hong Kong, Southern China." Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 7 (Jan 2007): 557-73. http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/acp-7-557-2007.
   
   
4. Guo, H., T. Wang*, D. R. Blake, I. J. Simpson, Y. H. Kwok, and Y. S. Li. "Regional and Local Contributions to Ambient Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds at a Polluted Rural/Coastal Site in Pearl River Delta, China." Atmospheric Environment 40, no. 13 (Apr 2006): 2345-59.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.12.011.
   
   
5. Simpson, I. J., T. Wang*, H. Guo, Y. H. Kwok, F. Flocke, E. Atlas, S. Meinardi, F. S. Rowland, and D. R. Blake. "Long-Term Atmospheric Measurements of C-1-C-5 Alkyl Nitrates in the Pearl River Delta Region of Southeast China." Atmospheric Environment 40, no. 9 (Mar 2006): 1619-32.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.10.062.
   
   
6. Wang, T. *, H. Guo, D. R. Blake, Y. H. Kwok, I. J. Simpson, and Y. S. Li. "Measurements of Trace Gases in the Inflow of South China Sea Background Air and Outflow of Regional Pollution at Tai O, Southern China." Journal of Atmospheric Chemistry 52, no. 3 (Nov 2005): 295-317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10874-005-2219-x.
   
   
7. Cheung, H. C., T. Wang*, K. Baumann, and H. Guo. "Influence of Regional Pollution Outflow on the Concentrations of Fine Particulate Matter and Visibility in the Coastal Area of Southern China." Atmospheric Environment 39, no. 34 (Nov 2005): 6463-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2005.07.033.
   
   
8. Ding, A., T. Wang*, M. Zhao, T. Wang, and Z. K. Li. "Simulation of Sea-Land Breezes and a Discussion of Their Implications on the Transport of Air Pollution During a Multi-Day Ozone Episode in the Pearl River Delta of China." Atmospheric Environment 38, no. 39 (Dec 2004): 6737-50.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2004.09.017.
   
   
9. Guo, H., T. Wang*, and P. K. K. Louie. "Source Apportionment of Ambient Non-Methane Hydrocarbons in Hong Kong: Application of a Principal Component Analysis/Absolute Principal Component Scores (Pca/Apcs) Receptor Model." Environmental Pollution 129, no. 3 (Jun 2004): 489-98.
   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2003.11.006.
   
   
10. So, K. L. and T. Wang*. "C-3-C-12 Non-Methane Hydrocarbons in Subtropical Hong Kong: Spatial-Temporal Variations, Source-Receptor Relationships and Photochemical Reactivity." Science of the Total Environment 328, no. 1-3 (Jul 2004): 161-74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotnev.2004.01.029.
    
    
11. Wang, T. *, C. N. Poon, Y. H. Kwok, and Y. S. Li. "Characterizing the Temporal Variability and Emission Patterns of Pollution Plumes in the Pearl River Delta of China." Atmospheric Environment 37, no. 25 (Aug 2003): 3539-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s1352-2310(03)00363-7.
    
    
12. Wang, T. * and J. Y. H. Kwok. "Measurement and Analysis of a Multiday Photochemical Smog Episode in the Pearl River Delta of China." Journal of Applied Meteorology 42, no. 3 (Mar 2003): 404-16. http://dx.doi.org/10.1175/1520-0450(2003)042<0404:maaoam>2.0.co;2.
    
    
13. So, K. L. and T. Wang*. "On the Local and Regional Influence on Ground-Level Ozone Concentrations in Hong Kong." Environmental Pollution 123, no. 2 (2003): 307-17. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0269-7491(02)00370-6.