Characterization of individual airborne particles in Taiyuan City, China.

Taiyuan, the capital of Shanxi province, China, is one of the most polluted cities in the world. To characterize the ambient particulate pollution, samples of particulates with aerodynamic diameter less than 10 microm (PM(10)) were collected during a 6-day campaign. Individual particles were analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy-Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS) to determine their chemical composition. Meanwhile, photomicrographs were obtained from SEM to aid in particles' source identification. The lumped data from SEM-EDS were subjected to hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) to sort out particle types chemically. HCA combined with SEM photomicrographs allowed us to identify 20 different particle types, namely (in order of particle frequency), soil/fly ash particles, coal-burning, sulfur-rich, and iron-rich particles, gypsum, syngenite, quartz, cement, silicon sulfide, siliconferro alloy, calcium-rich particles, ferrochromium alloy, ammonium sulfate and chloride, iron-zinc, ammonium chloride, molybdenum-rich, potassium sulfate, dolomite, lead sulfate, and copper-rich particles. Their possible origins and pathways are suggested. The majority of the particles seem to originate from coal combustion, which conforms to Taiyuan's industrial structure.

Urban and rural exposure to indoor air pollution from domestic biomass and coal burning across China.

Although indoor air pollution (IAP) from solid fuel use in the households of the developing countries is estimated to be one of the main health risks worldwide, there is little knowledge of the actual exposure experienced by large populations. We have developed a method to estimate exposure to PM(10) from IAP for large populations, applied to different demographic groups in China. On a national basis we find that 80%-90% of exposure in the rural population results from IAP. For the urban population the contribution is somewhat lower, about 50%-60%. Average exposure is estimated at 340 microg/m(3) (SD 55) in southern cities, and 440 microg/m(3) (SD 40) in northern cities. For the rural population we find average exposure to be 750 microg/m(3) (SD 100) and 680 microg/m(3) (SD 65) in the south and north respectively. Quite surprisingly our results indicate that the heavily polluted northern provinces, largely dependent on coal and believed to have the population with the largest exposure burden, turn out to have medium exposure when IAP is included. We find that the largest exposure burden is in counties relying heavily on biomass, and that there are only small gender differences in exposure.

Aluminium mobilization from acidic forest soils in Leigongshan area, Southwestern China: Laboratory and field study.

Aluminium mobilization from acidic forest soils in the remote Leigongshan area in southwestern China was investigated in the field and by a laboratory batch experiment using sequential extractions with HCl solutions with pH of approximately 3.4. Experimental data showed that strongly organically bound aluminium (Alp-Alcu) decreased significantly after sequential extraction, whereas exchangeable aluminium (Alex) increased in all three horizons. In the A-horizon with higher base saturation (BS), dissolved aluminium exchanged with base cations (BCs) on soil complex, causing lower aluminium release but significant leaching of BCs. In AB- and B-horizon with lower BS, more dissolved aluminium remained in solution. Al3+ activities in both experimental soil extracts and field soil waters strongly deviated from those predicted by the gibbsite model (i.e., pAl = pKsp + 3.0 pH) despite a significant increase in Al3+ with a decrease in pH. The soil organic-bound aluminium model, using Alcu and Alp to account for differences in the size of available Al pools in the soil, gave considerably better fits to both experimental and field data. SOM-Al model, approved by using Alex instead of organically bound aluminium (i.e., Alp and Alcu), could depict the changes in Al activities most successfully. We have concluded that Alp-Alcu is the main source of aqueous aluminium, whereas Alex plays an important role in regulating aluminium solubility during soil acidification.

Chemical characterization of individual particles (PM10) from ambient air in Guiyang City, China.

PM10 samples were collected during 5 days in Guiyang, China in July 2003. A total of about 2300 particles was analyzed by an automated Scanning Electron Microscope with Energy-Dispersive Spectrometer (SEM-EDS). Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) was used to identify different particle types that occurred in the aerosol. Seventeen particle types were identified and presented in the order of decreasing number abundance as: silicomanganese slag, soil and fly ash, coal burning, silicomanganese, quartz, syngenite, S-bearing iron, calcium rich, gypsum, sphalerite, dolomite, iron, alloy, lead sulfate, zinc rich, sulfur-rich particles and aluminum manufacturing dust. The majority of the particles in the studied size range are of anthropogenic origin, especially from metallurgical industry. The study illustrates the complexity of particle pollution in air of an industrial Chinese city and the results should be useful in planning mitigation measures.

Evaluation of different approaches for modeling effects of acid rain on soils in China.

Acid deposition is an environmental problem of increasing concern in China. Acidic soils are common in the southern part of the country and soil acidification caused by acid deposition is expected to occur. Here we test and apply two different approaches for modeling effects of acid deposition and compare results with observed data from sites throughout southern China. The dynamic model MAGIC indicates that, during the last few decades, soil acidification rates have increased considerably due to acid deposition. This acidification will continue if sulfur deposition is not reduced, and if reduced more rapidly than base cation deposition. With the Steady State Mass Balance model (SSMB), and assuming that a molar ratio of Ca2+/Al3+ < 1 in soil water is harmful to vegetation, we estimate a slight probability for exceedance of the critical load for present deposition rates. Results from both modeling approaches show a strong dependence with deposition of base cations as well as sulfur. Hence, according to the models, changes in emission control of alkaline particulate matter prior to sulfur dioxide will be detrimental to the environment. Model calculations are, however, uncertain, particularly because available data on base cation deposition fluxes are scarce, and that model formulation of aluminum chemistry does not fully reproduce observations. An effort should be made to improve our present knowledge regarding deposition fluxes. Improvements to the model are suggested. Our work indicates that the critical loads presented in the regional acid deposition assessment model RAINS-Asia are too stringent. We find weaknesses in the SSMB approach, developed for northern European conditions, when applying it to Chinese conditions. We suggest an improved effort to revise the risk parameters for use in critical load estimates in China.