1.Editorial Department of Journal of Sichuan University (Engineering Science Edition), Chengdu 610065, China
2.Collaborative Innovation Center of Statistical Data Engineering Technology & Application, School of Statistics and Data Science, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
3.Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Solid Waste Pollution Control and Resource Utilization, School of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
4.School of Statistics and Data Science, Zhejiang Gongshang University, Hangzhou 310018, China
5.College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
6.Zhejiang Key Laboratory of Ecological Environmental Damage Control and Value Transformation, Ecological and Environmental Science and Research Institute of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310007, China
Objective Regional ozone (O3) pollution is a critical environmental issue in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China, because of its complex formation mechanisms, evident regional transport characteristics, and nonlinear relationship with precursors, which hinder effective control. From 2013 to 2019, the annual evaluation value of O3 (MDA8-90) in 74 key Chinese cities increased by 28.8%, while the YRD showed a 25.7% increase, which is significantly higher than the levels in Europe, the United States, and Japan. Traditional emergency control measures, such as large-scale factory closures and vehicle restrictions, are often costly and lack scientific precision because the control areas are usually determined by administrative experience rather than targeted source identification. With the shift toward refined air pollution management, from "one city, one policy" to "one factory, one policy," there is an urgent need for precise grid-based control strategies. Existing studies rarely integrate hybrid receptor models with three-dimensional meteorological-chemical transport models for strategy development. This study hypothesizes that adjacent cities in the YRD share similar potential O3 source areas during regional pollution events. The objectives are to develop a method for identifying common source areas, quantify contributions from different regions and industries, evaluate the effectiveness of refined control scenarios, and propose cost-effective emergency strategies for the YRD. Methods This study focused on a severe regional O3 pollution event in the YRD region from September 17 to October 5, 2021, covering six key cities: Hefei, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shaoxing, and Jiaxing. A comprehensive methodological framework was adopted as follows: 1) Backward Trajectory and CWT Analysis: The HYSPLIT model was utilized to conduct 48-hour backward trajectory analysis at 3-hour intervals (UTC) for four provincial capitals, with the atmospheric boundary layer height set at 100 m. CWT analysis with a 0.25°×0.25° grid quantified the potential contribution of each grid to the receptor cities. 2) Common Source Area Identification: Based on spatial intersection principles, overlapping areas of CWT results from multiple cities were defined as common source areas, and grid CWT values were set as the maximum values among the participating cities. 3) Model Simulation: The WRF‒CMAQ model with the ISAM tool was utilized to simulate O3 concentrations and quantify source contributions. Anthropogenic emission data were obtained from the EDGAR‒HTAP global database for areas outside mainland China and the MEICv1.2 high-resolution database for the mainland of China. 4) Control Scenarios: Six scenarios were designed, including a baseline scenario with no control and five control scenarios: traditional full-region control with a 50% emission reduction in all industries, grid-based differentiated control in common source areas for all industries, and targeted control of industrial sources, mobile sources, or both in common source areas. Model performance was evaluated using mean bias, normalized mean bias, normalized mean error, and correlation coefficient. Results and Discussions During the pollution event, the six cities showed synchronized diurnal O3 variations. Maximum hourly concentrations reached 184 to 299 μg/m3, and Hangzhou's MDA8 O3 exceeded the national standard of 160 μg/m3 by 63% at the peak. Nighttime O3 concentrations remained high, ranging from 124 to 189 μg/m3, which was attributed to weak NO titration effects that were insufficient to consume photochemically produced O3. Backward trajectory analysis indicated that the YRD was mainly affected by air masses from the northwest, northeast, and east. Common source areas covered northern Hebei, central Shandong, southern and central Henan, central Anhui, eastern and southern Jiangsu, and northern Zhejiang. High CWT values, with CWT>120, were concentrated at the junctions of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang province, reflecting significant local emission contributions. ISAM source apportionment results showed that industrial and mobile sources were the primary contributors to O3. Industrial sources accounted for 50.9% to 68.2% of O3 concentrations across the six cities, while mobile sources contributed 21.5% to 31.9%. Regional transport varied among the cities: Hefei was dominated by intra-provincial transport at 27.3%, Hangzhou and Shanghai were dominated by local emissions at 41.2% and 48.3%, respectively, and Shaoxing and Jiaxing were dominated by intra-Zhejiang transport at 60.4% and 56.2%, respectively.Model evaluation confirmed that the WRF‒CMAQ model effectively captured O3 concentration trends, with mean bias, normalized mean bias, normalized mean error, and correlation coefficient falling within reasonable ranges. Compared to the baseline scenario, all control scenarios reduced MDA8 O3 concentrations: 1) Grid-based control in common source areas (Case 3) achieved the most significant reduction, ranging from 5.8% to 31.3%, with a control area 30% smaller than that of traditional full-region control (Case 2), which achieved a reduction of 5.2% to 15.9%. 2) Targeted control of industrial and mobile sources in common source areas (Case 4) reduced concentrations by 4.5% to 22.0%, outperforming traditional control. 3) Single-sector control of industrial sources (Case 6) produced effects similar to those of traditional full-region control, whereas mobile-source-only control (Case 5) showed minimal improvement, with a reduction of 1.9% to 7.7%. Conclusions This study developed a method for identifying common source areas of regional O3 pollution and validated refined control strategies using the WRF‒CMAQ/ISAM model. The key conclusions are as follows: 1) The O3 common source areas of the YRD region cover northern Hebei, central Shandong, southern and central Henan, central Anhui, eastern and southern Jiangsu, and northern Zhejiang, with high-contribution zones located at the junctions of Anhui, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang province. 2) Industrial and mobile sources are the dominant contributors to O3 in the YRD, with combined contributions of 72.4% to 89.7% across key cities. 3) Grid-based differentiated control in common source areas is more effective, achieving reductions of 5.8% to 31.3%, than traditional full-region control and reducing the control area by 30%. Targeted control of industrial and mobile sources in these areas also achieves significant reductions of 4.5% to 22.0%, providing cost-effective options. The proposed grid-based differentiated emission reduction method provides scientific support for precise regional air pollution control. Future research can integrate air quality forecasting models to enable proactive pre-pollution control strategies.
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