The physical and chemical characteristics of long-lasting trans-boundary mixed pollutants over East Asia

Abstract:

Trans-boundary air pollution lasted about 1 week over East Asia from late May to early June 2014. Daily averaged PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded respectively 35μg/m³ and 100μg/m³ during this episode at Fukuoka, southeastern city of Japan. The continuous aerosol plumes were constructed by Asian dust and anthropogenic pollutants, and observed by many aerosol measurements, such as ground-based lidar, space-born lidar, Aerosol Chemical Speciation Analyzer (ACSA) and Polarization Optical Particle Counter (POPC). Regional chemical transport model was used to clarify the meteorological condition forming long-lasting aerosol plumes and the 3D structure.

The continuous aerosol plume was made by 2 sequential low pressure systems passing over desert area, and subsequently generated blocking high pressure system over Japan. The averaged aerosol depolarization ratio derived by ground-based lidar and POPC at around 0.5μm during this episode were 0.11 and 0.146, these values were very low for dust case. ACSA data at Fukuoka also showed that coarse model nitrate and fine mode sulfate concentration was very high (3~6μg/m³ for coarse mode nitrate, 5-15 μg/m³ for fine mode sulfate) during this episode. These results suggested that transport of anthropogenic aerosols were occurred during this event together with dust plume. Coarse mode nitrate might be made by internal mixing between dust particles and nitrate. Numerical chemical transport model could not reproduced high concentration of coarse mode nitrate because model did not consider the process of internal mixing between dust particles and nitrate. Further vertical structure and mixing state during long-lasting trans-boundary pollution are clarified.