Persistent sulfate formation from London Fog to Chinese haze

Gehui Wang(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Renyi Zhang(Peking University), Mario Gómez(Florida International University), Lingxiao Yang(Shandong University), Misti Levy Zamora(Texas A&M University), Min Hu(Peking University), Yun Lin(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Jianfei Peng(Peking University), Song Guo(Peking University), Jingjing Meng(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Jianjun Li(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Chunlei Cheng(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Tafeng Hu(NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research), Yanqin Ren(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Yuesi Wang(Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Jian Gao(Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences), Junji Cao(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Zhisheng An(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Weijian Zhou(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Guohui Li(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Jiayuan Wang(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Pengfei Tian(Lanzhou University), Wilmarie Marrero-Ortiz(Texas A&M University), Jeremiah Secrest(Texas A&M University), Zhuofei Du(Peking University), Jing Zheng(Peking University), Dongjie Shang(Peking University), Limin Zeng(Peking University), Min Shao(Peking University), Weigang Wang(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Yao Huang(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Yuan Wang(Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Yujiao Zhu(Ocean University of China), Yixin Li(Texas A&M University), Jiaxi Hu(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Bowen Pan(Texas A&M University), Cai Li(Wuhan University), Yu-Ting Cheng(Chinese Academy of Sciences), Yuemeng Ji(Guangdong University of Technology), Fang Zhang(Beijing Normal University), Daniel Rosenfeld(Hebrew University of Jerusalem), Peter S. Liss(University of East Anglia), Robert A. Duce(Texas A&M University), C. E. Kolb(Aerodyne Research), Mario J. Molina(University of California San Diego)
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
November 14, 2016
10.1073/pnas.1616540113
Cited by 1,567Open Access
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Abstract

Significance Exceedingly high levels of fine particulate matter (PM) occur frequently in China, but the mechanism of severe haze formation remains unclear. From atmospheric measurements in two Chinese megacities and laboratory experiments, we show that the oxidation of SO 2 by NO 2 occurs efficiently in aqueous media under two polluted conditions: first, during the formation of the 1952 London Fog via in-cloud oxidation; and second, on fine PM with NH 3 neutralization during severe haze in China. We suggest that effective haze mitigation is achievable by intervening in the sulfate formation process with NH 3 and NO 2 emission control measures. Hence, our results explain the outstanding sulfur problem during the historic London Fog formation and elucidate the chemical mechanism of severe haze in China.

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