title: Long-term trend of haze pollution and impact of particulate matter in the Yangtze River Delta, China.
abstract: Haze pollution caused by heavy particulate matter (PM) loading brings significant damage in eastern China. Long-term monitoring from 1980 to 2011 and 1-year field measurement in 2011-2012 are used for investigating visibility variation and the impact of PM pollution for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). It was found that visual range in the YRD endured a sharp reduction from 13.2 km to 10.5 km during 1980-2000. Average mass extinction efficiency (MEE) for inhalable PM (PM10) is 2.25 m(2)/g in 2001-2011, and extinction coefficient due to PM10 is 207 Mm(-1), accounting for 36.2% of total extinction coefficient. MEE of PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 are 4.08 m(2)/g and 0.58 m(2)/g, respectively. Extinction coefficient due to PM2.5 and PM2.5-10 is 198 Mm(-1) (39.6%) and 20 Mm(-1) (4.0%) in 2011-2012. Maximum daily concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 is estimated to be 63 μg/m(3) (RH: 73%) and 38 μg/m(3) (RH: 70%) to keep visual range above 10 km. Fine particulate matter is the key factor for haze pollution improvement in the YRD area.
authors.affiliation: School of Environment, and State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.
authors.forename: Zhen
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Shuxiao
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jingkun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Qingyan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Changhong
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Bingye
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jianqiao
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: Jiming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hao
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D000397:Air Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D045483:Rivers
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Haze pollution; Mass extinction efficiency; Particulate matter; Visibility; Yangtze River Delta