Vapor isotopic evidence for the worsening of winter air quality by anthropogenic combustion-derived water.

Anthropogenic combustion-derived water (CDW) may accumulate in an airshed due to stagnant air, which may further enhance the formation of secondary aerosols and worsen air quality. Here we collected three-winter-season, hourly resolution, water-vapor stable H and O isotope compositions together with atmospheric physical and chemical data from the city of Xi'an, located in the Guanzhong Basin (GZB) in northwestern China, to elucidate the role of CDW in particulate pollution. Based on our experimentally determined water vapor isotope composition of the CDW for individual and weighted fuels in the basin, we found that CDW constitutes 6.2% of the atmospheric moisture on average and its fraction is positively correlated with [PM2.5] (concentration of particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 µm) as well as relative humidity during the periods of rising [PM2.5]. Our modeling results showed that CDW added additional average 4.6 µg m-3 PM2.5 during severely polluted conditions in the GZB, which corresponded to an average 5.1% of local anthropogenic [PM2.5] (average at ∼91.0 µg m-3). Our result is consistent with the proposed positive feedback between the relative humidity and a moisture sensitive air-pollution condition, alerting to the nontrivial role of CDW when considering change of energy structure such as a massive coal-to-gas switch in household heating in winter.

Aerosol-photolysis interaction reduces particulate matter during wintertime haze events.

Aerosol-radiation interaction (ARI) plays a significant role in the accumulation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) by stabilizing the planetary boundary layer and thus deteriorating air quality during haze events. However, modification of photolysis by aerosol scattering or absorbing solar radiation (aerosol-photolysis interaction or API) alters the atmospheric oxidizing capacity, decreases the rate of secondary aerosol formation, and ultimately alleviates the ARI effect on PM2.5 pollution. Therefore, the synergetic effect of both ARI and API can either aggravate or even mitigate PM2.5 pollution. To test the effect, a fully coupled Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF)-Chem model has been used to simulate a heavy haze episode in North China Plain. Our results show that ARI contributes to a 7.8% increase in near-surface PM2.5 However, API suppresses secondary aerosol formation, and the combination of ARI and API results in only 4.8% net increase of PM2.5 Additionally, API increases the solar radiation reaching the surface and perturbs aerosol nucleation and activation to form cloud condensation nuclei, influencing aerosol-cloud interaction. The results suggest that API reduces PM2.5 pollution during haze events, but adds uncertainties in climate prediction.

Severe haze in northern China: A synergy of anthropogenic emissions and atmospheric processes.

Regional severe haze represents an enormous environmental problem in China, influencing air quality, human health, ecosystem, weather, and climate. These extremes are characterized by exceedingly high concentrations of fine particulate matter (smaller than 2.5 µm, or PM2.5) and occur with extensive temporal (on a daily, weekly, to monthly timescale) and spatial (over a million square kilometers) coverage. Although significant advances have been made in field measurements, model simulations, and laboratory experiments for fine PM over recent years, the causes for severe haze formation have not yet to be systematically/comprehensively evaluated. This review provides a synthetic synopsis of recent advances in understanding the fundamental mechanisms of severe haze formation in northern China, focusing on emission sources, chemical formation and transformation, and meteorological and climatic conditions. In particular, we highlight the synergetic effects from the interactions between anthropogenic emissions and atmospheric processes. Current challenges and future research directions to improve the understanding of severe haze pollution as well as plausible regulatory implications on a scientific basis are also discussed.

Brown Carbon Aerosol in Urban Xi'an, Northwest China: The Composition and Light Absorption Properties.

Light-absorbing organic carbon (i.e., brown carbon or BrC) in the atmospheric aerosol has significant contribution to light absorption and radiative forcing. However, the link between BrC optical properties and chemical composition remains poorly constrained. In this study, we combine spectrophotometric measurements and chemical analyses of BrC samples collected from July 2008 to June 2009 in urban Xi'an, Northwest China. Elevated BrC was observed in winter (5 times higher than in summer), largely due to increased emissions from wintertime domestic biomass burning. The light absorption coefficient of methanol-soluble BrC at 365 nm (on average approximately twice that of water-soluble BrC) was found to correlate strongly with both parent polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (parent-PAHs, 27 species) and their carbonyl oxygenated derivatives (carbonyl-OPAHs, 15 species) in all seasons ( r2 > 0.61). These measured parent-PAHs and carbonyl-OPAHs account for on average ∼1.7% of the overall absorption of methanol-soluble BrC, about 5 times higher than their mass fraction in total organic carbon (OC, ∼0.35%). The fractional solar absorption by BrC relative to element carbon (EC) in the ultraviolet range (300-400 nm) is significant during winter (42 ± 18% for water-soluble BrC and 76 ± 29% for methanol-soluble BrC), which may greatly affect the radiative balance and tropospheric photochemistry and therefore the climate and air quality.

Urgency of controlling agricultural nitrogen sources to alleviate summertime air pollution in the North China Plain.

Agricultural nitrogen sources (ANS) have played an increasingly important role in the air quality since ANS emission controls are much weaker than those for fossil fuel combustion sources due to the increasing food demand. However, ANS emissions are highly uncertain due to stochastic agricultural management activities and limited field measurements, and impacts of ANS on the air quality remain elusive. In the study, the WRF-Chem model has been used to investigate ANS shares in near surface air pollutant concentrations during a growing season in the North China Plain (NCP), with ANS emissions constrained by satellite retrievals. Soil NOX and agricultural NH3 emissions are about 36% and 92% of their total emissions during the growing season. Sensitivity studies demonstrate that ANS count 16.9 µg m-3 (9.9%) of the mean maximum daily average 8-h ozone concentrations (MDA8 [O3]) and 8.9 µg m-3 (31.7%) of fine particulate matter concentrations ([PM2.5]) on average in the NCP. Additionally, the contributions of ANS to MDA8 [O3] and [PM2.5] increase with the deterioration of air pollution in cities. A 50% emission reduction in ANS decreases MDA8 [O3] ([PM2.5]) from 4.2% to 8.4% (from 19.7% to 31.9%) when the air quality changes from being lightly to heavily polluted in terms of MDA8 [O3] (hourly [PM2.5]). Without fossil fuel combustion emissions, the simulated average MDA8 [O3] and [PM2.5] are 111.7 and 8.2 µg m-3 in cities of the NCP, respectively, exceeding the new standards from the World Health Organization. Our study highlights important contributions of ANS to air quality and the urgency of ANS emission abatement for air pollution alleviation during summertime in the NCP.

Winter and summer PM2.5 chemical compositions in fourteen Chinese cities.

UNLABELLED: PM2.5 in 14 of China's large cities achieves high concentrations in both winter and summer with averages > 100 microg m(-3) being common occurrences. A grand average of 15 microg m(-3) was found for all cities, with a minimum of 27 microg m(-3) measured at Qingdao during summer and a maximum of 356 microg m(-3) at Xi 'an during winter. Both primary and secondary PM2.5 are important contributors at all of the cities and during both winter and summer. While ammonium sulfate is a large contributor during both seasons, ammonium nitrate contributions are much larger during winter. Lead levels are still high in several cities, reaching an average of 1.68 microg m(-3) in Xi 'an. High correlations of lead with arsenic and sulfate concentrations indicate that much of it derives from coal combustion, rather than leaded fuels, which were phased out by calendar year 2000. Although limited fugitive dust markers were available, scaling of iron by its ratios in source profiles shows -20% of PM2.5 deriving from fugitive dust in most of the cities. Multipollutant control strategies will be needed that address incomplete combustion of coal and biomass, engine exhaust, and fugitive dust, as well as sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, and ammonia gaseous precursors for ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. IMPLICATIONS: PM2.5 mass and chemical composition show large contributions from carbon, sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, and fugitive dust during winter and summer and across fourteen large cities. Multipollutant control strategies will be needed that address both primary PM2.5 emissions and gaseous precursors to attain China's recently adopted PM2.5 national air quality standards.

Weather-Climate Anomalies and Regional Transport Contribute to Air Pollution in Northern China During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Two persistent and heavy haze episodes during the COVID-19 lockdown (from 20 Jan to 22 Feb 2020) still occur in northern China, when anthropogenic emissions, particularly from transportation sources, are greatly reduced. To investigate the underlying cause, this study comprehensively uses in-situ measurements for ambient surface pollutants, reanalysis meteorological data and the WRF-Chem model to calculate the contribution of NOx emission change and weather-climate change to the "unexpectedly heavy" haze. Results show that a substantial NOx reduction has slightly decreased PM2.5 concentration. By contrast, the weakest East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) in the 2019-2020 winter relative to the past decade is particularly important for haze occurrence. A warmer and moister climate is also favorable. Model results suggest that climate anomalies lead to a 25-50 µg m-3 increase of PM2.5 concentration, and atmospheric transport is also an important contributor to two haze episodes. The first haze is closely related to the atmospheric transport of pollutants from NEC to the south, and fireworks emissions in NEC are a possible amplifying factor that warrants future studies. The second one is caused by the convergence of a southerly wind and a mountain wind, resulting in an intra-regional transport within BTH, with a maximal PM2.5 increment of 50-100 µg m-3. These results suggest that climate change and regional transport are of great importance to haze occurrence in China, even with significant emission reductions of pollutants.

Effects of hydroperoxy radical heterogeneous loss on the summertime ozone formation in the North China Plain.

Hydroperoxy radical (HO2) is a crucial oxidant participating in the oxidation of nitrogen oxide to nitrogen dioxide which constitutes one of the most important pathways for the ozone (O3) photochemical formation in the troposphere. Laboratory experiments and field observations have revealed efficient HO2 heterogeneous uptake on wet aerosols, but its impact on the O3 formation remains controversial. A severe and persistent O3 pollution episode has been simulated using the WRF-Chem model to evaluate the impacts of the HO2 heterogeneous loss on the O3 formation in the North China Plain (NCP) during the summertime of 2018. Comparisons between experimental simulations with the HO2 effective uptake coefficient of 0.2 and 0.0 shows that the HO2 heterogeneous loss decreases the daytime HO2 and maximum daily average 8-hour (MDA8) O3 concentrations by about 5% and 1% in the NCP, respectively. Emission mitigation from 2013 to 2018 is found to contribute a 2.1 µg m-3 (5%) increase in the MDA8 O3 concentration due to decreased aerosol sink for the HO2 heterogeneous loss in the NCP. Our results reveal that decreased HO2 heterogeneous uptake does not constitute an important factor driving the O3 trend since 2013 in the NCP.

Heterogeneous HONO formation deteriorates the wintertime particulate pollution in the Guanzhong Basin, China.

Despite implementation of strict emission mitigation measures since 2013, heavy haze with high levels of secondary aerosols still frequently engulfs the Guanzhong Basin (GZB), China, during wintertime, remarkably impairing visibility and potentially causing severe health issues. Although the observed low ozone (O3) concentrations do not facilitate the photochemical formation of secondary aerosols, the measured high nitrous acid (HONO) level provides an alternate pathway in the GZB. The impact of heterogeneous HONO sources on the wintertime particulate pollution and atmospheric oxidizing capability (AOC) is evaluated in the GZB. Simulations by the Weather Research and Forecast model coupled with Chemistry (WRF-Chem) reveal that the observed high levels of nitrate and secondary organic aerosols (SOA) are reproduced when both homogeneous and heterogeneous HONO sources are considered. The heterogeneous sources (HET-sources) contribute about 98% of the near-surface HONO concentration in the GZB, increasing the hydroxyl radical (OH) and O3 concentration by 39.4% and 22.0%, respectively. The average contribution of the HET-sources to SOA, nitrate, ammonium, and sulfate in the GZB is 35.6%, 20.6%, 12.1%, and 6.0% during the particulate pollution episode, respectively, enhancing the mass concentration of fine particulate matters (PM2.5) by around 12.2%. Our results suggest that decreasing HONO level or the AOC becomes an effective pathway to alleviate the wintertime particulate pollution in the GZB.

Cropland nitrogen dioxide emissions and effects on the ozone pollution in the North China plain.

Soil nitrogen dioxide (NOX = NO2 + NO) emissions have been measured and estimated to be the second most significant contributor to the NOX burden following the fossil fuel combustion source globally. NOX emissions from croplands are subject to being underestimated or overlooked in air pollution simulations of regional atmospheric chemistry models. With constraints of ground and space observations of NO2, the WRF-Chem model is used to investigate the cropland NOX emission and its contribution to the near-surface ozone (O3) pollution in North China Plain (NCP) during a growing season as a case study. Model simulations have revealed that the cropland NOX emissions are underestimated by around 80% without constraints of satellite measured NO2 column densities. The biogenic NOX source is estimated to account for half of the anthropogenic NOX emissions in the NCP during the growing season. Additionally, the cropland NOX source contributes around 5.0% of the maximum daily average 8h O3 concentration and 27.7% of NO2 concentration in the NCP. Our results suggest the agriculture NOX emission exerts non-negligible impacts on the summertime air quality and needs to be considered when designing emission abatement strategies.

The relationship between the intensified heat waves and deteriorated summertime ozone pollution in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China, during 2013-2017.

Summertime ozone (O3) pollution has frequently occurred in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, China, since 2013, resulting in detrimental impacts on human health and ecosystems. The contribution of weather shifts to O3 concentration variability owing to climate change remains elusive. By combining regional air chemistry model simulations with near-surface observations, we found that anthropogenic emission changes contributed to approximately 23% of the increase in maximum daily 8-h average O3 concentrations in the BTH region in June-July-August (JJA) 2017 (compared with that in 2013). With respect to the weather shift influence, the frequencies, durations, and magnitudes of O3 exceedance were consistent with those of the heat wave events in the BTH region during JJA in 2013-2017. Intensified heat waves are a significant driver for worsening O3 pollution. In particular, the prolonged duration of heat waves creates consecutive adverse weather conditions that cause O3 accumulation and severe O3 pollution. Our results suggest that the variability in extreme summer heat is closely related to the occurrence of high O3 concentrations, which is a significant driver of deteriorating O3 pollution.

Why is the air humid during wintertime heavy haze days in Beijing?

Atmospheric humidity has been shown to promote haze formation, but it remains unclear why the air is humid during heavy haze days in winter. Here we combine water vapor isotope measurements with WRF-Chem simulations to elucidate increasing humidity with aggravation of haze during wintertime in urban Beijing. The vapor isotopic analysis in Beijing shows that the combustion-derived water (CDW) constitutes 11.0± 6.2 % of the atmospheric moisture and its fraction in total moisture increases with aggravation of haze. Modeling results reveal that, in addition to the water vapor transported from south or east to Beijing with occurrence of haze, CDW has a considerable impact on the increasing humidity when haze becomes heavy or severe. Aerosol-radiation interactions generally decrease the water vapor content and only increase humidity with occurrence of severe haze with hourly PM2.5 concentrations exceeding 250µg m-3. Although CDW is insignificant in the global atmospheric vapor budget, it could play an important role in modifying the local weather during haze days.

Local and transboundary transport contributions to the wintertime particulate pollution in the Guanzhong Basin (GZB), China: A case study.

Heavy haze with high levels of fine particulate matters (PM2.5) frequently engulfs the Guanzhong Basin (GZB) in northwestern China during wintertime. Although it is an enclosed basin with a narrow opening to the east, prevailing easterly winds during heavy haze episodes have a large potential to bring air pollutants to the GZB from the two highly polluted neighboring provinces of Shanxi and Henan (SX&HN). The source-oriented WRF-Chem model simulations of a persistent and heavy haze episode that occurred in the GZB from December 6 to 21, 2016, reveal that local emissions dominate PM2.5 concentrations in the GZB, with an average near-surface PM2.5 contribution of about 56.0% during the episode. The transboundary transport of emissions from SX&HN accounts for around 22.2% of the total PM2.5 in the GZB. Furthermore, with the deterioration of the air quality in the GZB from being slightly polluted to severely polluted in terms of hourly PM2.5 concentration, transboundary transport of emissions from SX&HN plays an increasingly important role in the particulate pollution, with the average PM2.5 contribution increasing from 8.0% to 27.5%. Compared with the source-oriented method (SOM), the brute force method (BFM) overestimates the contribution of GZB local emissions and transboundary transport of emissions from SX&HN to the total PM2.5 in the GZB. In addition, the BFM-estimated NH3 contribution of transboundary transport of emissions from SX&HN is negative, indicating the limitation of the BFM in source apportionment. Our results suggest that cooperative emission mitigation strategies with neighboring provinces are beneficial for lowering the particulate pollution in the GZB, particularly under severely polluted conditions.

Characteristics of ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) measured in Shanghai, China.

To better understand the characteristics of ambient abundance of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Shanghai, one of the biggest metropolis of China, VOCs were measured with a gas chromatography system equipped with a mass-selective detector (GC/MSD) from July 2006 to February 2010. An intensive measurement campaign was conducted (eight samples per day with a 3 hour interval) during May 2009. The comparison of ambient VOCs collected in different regions of Shanghai shows that the concentrations are slightly higher in the busy commercial area (28.9 ppbv at Xujiaui) than in the urban administrative area (24.3 ppbv at Pudong). However, during the intensive measurement period, the concentrations in the large steel industrial area (28.7 ppbv at Baoshan) were much higher than in the urban administrative area (18 ppbv at Pudong), especially for alkanes, alkenes, and toluene. The seasonal variations of ambient VOC concentrations measured at the Xujiahui sampling site indicate that the VOC concentrations are significantly affected by meteorological conditions (such as wind direction and precipitation). In addition, although alkanes are the most abundant VOCs at the Xujiahui measurement site, the most important VOCs contributing to ozone formation potential (OFP) are aromatics, accounting for 57% of the total OFP. The diurnal variations of VOC concentrations show that VOC concentrations are higher on weekdays than in weekends at the Xujiahui sampling site, suggesting that traffic condition and human activities have important impacts on VOC emissions in Shanghai. The evidence also shows that the major sources of isoprene are mainly resulted from gasoline evaporation at a particular time (06:00-09:00) in the busy commercial area. The results gained from this study provide useful information for better understanding the characteristics of ambient VOCs and the sources of VOCs in Shanghai.

Increasing wintertime ozone levels and secondary aerosol formation in the Guanzhong basin, central China.

The observed near-surface ozone (O3) concentration has been remarkably increasing during recent years in winter in the Guanzhong basin, central China, showing a continuous enhancement of the atmospheric oxidizing capacity (AOC). The impact of such a change in the AOC on secondary aerosol formation, however, has not yet been assessed. In this study, we simulate the formation of O3 and airborne particles in the atmosphere using the WRF-Chem model, in which the AOC is calculated quantitatively, to understand the responses of secondary aerosols to the AOC increase. Meteorological observations, air pollutants including O3, NO2, SO2, CO, and PM2.5 concentrations at ambient monitoring sites, and the main compositions of submicron particulates measured using ACSM are used to constrain the model simulation. The model result shows that the population hourly and postmeridian Ox (=O3 + NO2) concentrations are good indicators for the wintertime AOC in the basin, suggested by the significantly positive correlations between them. Sensitivity experiments present that the AOC changes may exert important influences on fine particle (PM2.5) concentration with an average rate of 1.94 (µg m-3)/(106 cm-3 s-1) for Δ(PM2.5)/Δ(AOC), which is mostly caused by the mass changes in secondary organic aerosol (43%) and nitrate aerosol (40%) and less attributed to the ammonium (11%) and sulfate (6%) components.

Impact of synoptic patterns and meteorological elements on the wintertime haze in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, China from 2013 to 2017.

Meteorological conditions play a key role in formation of air pollution, determining dispersion or accumulation of air pollutants. Aggressive emission mitigation measures have been taken recently in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH), China, but pervasive and persistent haze still frequently engulfs this region during wintertime. Occurrence frequency of unfavorable meteorological conditions in winter is anticipated to constitute a significantly important factor in driving the heavy haze formation in BTH. Large scale synoptic patterns influencing BTH during the wintertime from 2013 to 2017 are categorized into six types, including "north-low", "southwest-trough", "southeast-high", "southeast-trough", "transition", and "inland-high" using the NCEP reanalysis data. "Southwest-trough" and "southeast-high" are defined as favorable synoptic patterns and the remaining four categories are unfavorable ones based on FLEXPART simulations. Compared to measurements of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in BTH, favorable synoptic conditions generally correspond to the low level or decreasing trend of PM2.5 concentrations while under unfavorable conditions PM2.5 concentrations are high or increasing. Occurrence of wintertime haze episodes in BTH correlates well with the evolution trend of unfavorable synoptic patterns from 2013 to 2017 although the anthropogenic emissions have substantially decreased. PM2.5 concentrations also exhibit correlations with local meteorological elements, including winds, temperature, and relative humidity, which are ultimately steered by large scale synoptic situations. The WRF-Chem model simulations further reveal the critical role of large-scale synoptic patterns in the heavy haze formation. Overall, under unfavorable synoptic situations, emission mitigation is the best choice to improve the air quality in BTH.

Impact of nocturnal planetary boundary layer on urban air pollutants: measurements from a 250-m tower over Tianjin, China.

It is well known that nocturnal planetary boundary layer (NPBL) has important effects on urban air pollutants. However, the direct measurements of the interactions between the NPBL height and urban air pollutants are normally difficult, because such measurements require continuous vertical profiles of air pollutants and meteorological parameters. This paper provides an unique data, which temperature, NPBL, NO(x) and O(3) concentrations are measured at a 250-m meteorological tower in the city of Tianjin, China (a much polluted city located in central-eastern China). The results are analyzed to study the trend of NPBL and the impacts of NPBL on air pollutants in the city. The results show that the measured NPBL height ranges from 100m to 150m. The measurement of 10-year trend of the NPBL height suggests that the averaged NPBL height increases by about 20% between 1995 and 2006. The results also show that the NPBL height has important effects on air pollutants. This study suggests that NO(x) and O(3) concentrations are strongly anti-correlated inside of the NPBL height. During nighttime, NO(x) is directly emitted from the surface and is limited to inside of NPBL (40m), resulting in high NO(x) concentrations near the surface. The high NO(x) concentrations depress O(3), producing low O(3) concentrations near the surface. The measurements of vertical gradient of O(3) show that about 30-50ppbv of O(3) concentrations are chemically destroyed due to the surface emission of NO(x) during nighttime, suggesting that NPBL plays important roles in regulating the diurnal cycle of O(3) at the surface.

The impact of Climate Change on the Western Pacific Subtropical High and the related ozone pollution in Shanghai, China.

Severe ozone (O3) episodes occur frequently in Shanghai during late-summers. We define geopotential height averaged over the key area region (122.5°E-135°E, 27.5°N -35°N) at 500 hPa as a WPSH_SHO3 index which has high positive correlation with surface O3 concentration in Shanghai. In addition, the index has a significant long-term increasing trend during the recent 60 years. Analysis shows the meteorological conditions under the strong WPSH_SHO3 climate background (compared to the weak background) have several important anomalies: (1) A strong WPSH center occurs over the key area region. (2) The cloud cover is less, resulting in high solar radiation and low humidity, enhancing the photochemical reactions of O3. (3) The near-surface southwesterly winds are more frequent, enhancing the transport of upwind pollutants and O3 precursors from polluted regions to Shanghai and producing higher O3 chemical productions. This study suggests that the global climate change could lead to a stronger WPSH in the key region, enhancing ozone pollution in Shanghai. A global chemical/transport model (MOZART-4) is applied to show that the O3 concentrations can be 30 ppbv higher under a strong WPSH_SHO3 condition than a weak condition, indicating the important effect of the global climate change on local air pollution in Shanghai.

Effect of ship emissions on O3 in the Yangtze River Delta region of China: Analysis of WRF-Chem modeling.

The Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region locates on the eastern coast of China, and it has suffered severe O3 pollutions due to high and mixed emissions of air pollutants. There are 3 different emission sectors for O3 precursors in the region, including anthropogenic VOCS and NOX emissions, ship emissions (mainly NOX), and biogenic emissions from a large forest (biogenic VOCS). This unique emission mixture produces complicated chemical processes in studying the O3 pollutions in the region. This study aims to identify the contribution of the ship emissions to O3 pollutions, as well as the effect of mixing emissions on O3 pollutions in YRD. To identify the individual emission effect, the WRF-Chem model is used in this study. The model generally performs well in simulating meteorological parameters and air pollutants against observations in YRD. Sensitive study suggests that the ship emissions have important effects on the O3 concentrations over ocean and inland, with a maximum increase of 30-50 µg m-3 occurred mainly in the ship track regions. However, the ship emissions have a very complicated effect on the in-land O3 concentrations. In the north of Shanghai, the NOX concentrations are high due to high anthropogenic emissions, and a further increase in NOX emissions from ship results in depressing O3 chemical production. In contrast, in the south of Shanghai, there are high biogenic VOC emissions (mainly isoprene) and low NOx concentrations. As a result, the O3 concentrations are enhanced by 30-50 µg m-3, due to the mixing between ship and forest emissions. This study suggests that ship emissions play important roles in controlling O3 pollutions in YRD. Furthermore, the mixing emissions between ship, anthropogenic, and biogenic emissions in YRD produce a complicated O3 chemical production and need to be carefully considered in controlling strategy of O3 pollution in the region.