Key characteristics of new particle formation events occurring simultaneously in the Yangtze River Delta and northeast rural sites in China

• Published in: Atmospheric environment (1994) Vol. 324; p. 120406
• Main Authors: Liu, Shuo, Wang, Peng, Ma, Qianli, Shen, Xiaojing, Kang, Hanqing, Sun, Junying, Liu, Quan, Zhang, Yangmei, Shi, Muzhen, Yu, Dajiang, Zhong, Junting, Hu, Xinyao, Lu, Jiayuan, Yu, Aoyuan, Che, Huizheng, Zhang, Xiaoye
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2024
• Subjects: China; cold; Cold vortex; environment; Heating season; New particle formation; probability; river deltas; Rural sites; spring; temperature; volatile organic compounds; Yangtze River; China; Yangtze River; New particle formation; Rural sites; Heating season; Cold vortex
• ISSN: 1352-2310; 1873-2844
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2024.120406

Continuous measurements of particle number size distributions with mobility diameters ranging from 3 to 800 nm were performed at the Longfengshan (LFS) and Lin'an (LAN) stations, which represent the background atmospheric conditions in the Northeast China Plain and the Yangtze River Delta regions, respectively, from October 2021 to April 2022. The mean number concentration of total particles was (5.3 ± 5.1) × 103 cm−3 at LFS and (6.1 ± 2.8) × 103 cm−3 at LAN, respectively. During the measurements, the occurrence frequency of new particle formation (NPF) events was 29% at LFS and 12% at LAN. The mean formation rate of 3 nm particles was 0.45 and 1.65 cm−3 s−1, the mean particle growth rate was 4.2 and 5.1 nm h−1, and the mean condensation sink (CS) was 0.019 and 0.023 s−1 at LFS and LAN, respectively. At the LFS, a higher NPF occurrence probability was observed during the measurement period, which could be related to higher SO2 emissions, low CS and low temperature during the heating season. However, a higher formation and growth rate of LAN was found, which was probably caused by the higher emission rate of biogenic volatile organic vapors, especially in spring. There was a total of 11 NPF events coincided with LFS and LAN during the measurement, which accounted for 18% and 39% of all NPF events in LFS and LAN, respectively. The simultaneously NPF events occurring at both sites were favored by synoptic conditions, with a cold vortex system dominating Northeastern China. This is also the first time that NPF events have been reported in the cold areas of Northeast China. •7 months of PNSD measurement was conducted simultaneously at Northeast China and Yangtze River Delta.•Regional NPF events can occur at both sites coincidingly, favored by a strong cold vortex system.•Higher NPF event frequency at LFS as influenced by SO2 emission in heating season.•Higher formation and growth rate at LAN, probably caused by stronger emission rate of BVOC.