Impacts of Ship Emissions on Air Quality in Southern China: Opportunistic Insights from the Abrupt Emission Changes in Early 2020
- Xu FengXu FengJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United StatesMore by Xu Feng
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- Yaping MaYaping MaNational Meteorological Information Center, China Meteorological Administration, Beijing 100081, ChinaMore by Yaping Ma
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- Haipeng LinHaipeng LinJohn A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, United StatesMore by Haipeng Lin
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- Tzung-May Fu*Tzung-May Fu*Email: [email protected]. Phone: + 86 (755)88018872.Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaShenzhen National Center for Applied Mathematics, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaCenter for Oceanic and Atmospheric Science at SUSTech (COAST), Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Tzung-May Fu
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- Yan ZhangYan ZhangShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaMore by Yan Zhang
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- Xiaolin WangXiaolin WangDepartment of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaMore by Xiaolin Wang
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- Aoxing ZhangAoxing ZhangShenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Aoxing Zhang
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- Yupeng YuanYupeng YuanShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaMore by Yupeng Yuan
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- Zimin HanZimin HanShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaMore by Zimin Han
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- Jingbo MaoJingbo MaoShanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), National Observations and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystems of the Yangtze Estuary, Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, ChinaMore by Jingbo Mao
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- Dakang WangDakang WangSchool of Geography and Remote Sensing, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Dakang Wang
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- Lei ZhuLei ZhuShenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Lei Zhu
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- Yujie WuYujie WuSchool of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, United StatesMore by Yujie Wu
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- Ying LiYing LiDepartment of Ocean Sciences and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaCenter for Oceanic and Atmospheric Science at SUSTech (COAST), Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Ying Li
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- Xin YangXin YangShenzhen Key Laboratory of Precision Measurement and Early Warning Technology for Urban Environmental Health Risks, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaGuangdong Provincial Observation and Research Station for Coastal Atmosphere and Climate of the Greater Bay Area, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, Guangdong, ChinaMore by Xin Yang
Abstract
In early 2020, two unique events perturbed ship emissions of pollutants around Southern China, proffering insights into the impacts of ship emissions on regional air quality: the decline of ship activities due to COVID-19 and the global enforcement of low-sulfur (<0.5%) fuel oil for ships. In January and February 2020, estimated ship emissions of NOx, SO2, and primary PM2.5 over Southern China dropped by 19, 71, and 58%, respectively, relative to the same period in 2019. The decline of ship NOx emissions was mostly over the coastal waters and inland waterways of Southern China due to reduced ship activities. The decline of ship SO2 and primary PM2.5 emissions was most pronounced outside the Chinese Domestic Emission Control Area due to the switch to low-sulfur fuel oil there. Ship emission reductions in early 2020 drove 16 to 18% decreases in surface NO2 levels but 3.8 to 4.9% increases in surface ozone over Southern China. We estimated that ship emissions contributed 40% of surface NO2 concentrations over Guangdong in winter. Our results indicated that future abatements of ship emissions should be implemented synergistically with reductions of land-borne anthropogenic emissions of nonmethane volatile organic compounds to effectively alleviate regional ozone pollution.
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