An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta

Understanding the relative contributions of regional transport and local generation, alongside the nonlinear relationships between ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and its precursors, is essential for formulating effective O<sub>3</sub> pollution control strategies. The Yangtze River De...

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Main Authors: Yu Cao, Jinghui Ma, Xiaoyi Wang, Juanjuan Bian
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Atmosphere
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/2/158
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author Yu Cao
Jinghui Ma
Xiaoyi Wang
Juanjuan Bian
author_facet Yu Cao
Jinghui Ma
Xiaoyi Wang
Juanjuan Bian
author_sort Yu Cao
collection DOAJ
description Understanding the relative contributions of regional transport and local generation, alongside the nonlinear relationships between ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and its precursors, is essential for formulating effective O<sub>3</sub> pollution control strategies. The Yangtze River Delta region experiences pronounced O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission between cities, with pollutants capable of spreading hundreds of kilometers downwind under varying wind, temperature, and humidity conditions. However, the distributional characteristics of regional O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission across different cities within this area remain unclear. This study applies the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality method to assess the spatial distribution of regional background and locally generated ozone concentrations, while using a composite analysis to examine the wind and temperature field characteristics during typical years of high ozone transport and local generation episodes. The results indicate that ozone concentrations across regions are strongly influenced by local wind anomalies, with elevated temperatures correlating with high O<sub>3</sub> concentrations. Furthermore, an algorithm based on observed O<sub>3</sub> concentrations and ground-level wind data was developed to quantify pollution transport rates more accurately, addressing uncertainties in pollutant transport dynamics due to variable wind fields and identifying “false” potential source areas. The findings reveal that intercity transport within the Yangtze River Delta contributes 45.2–65.1% to regional O<sub>3</sub> levels, exceeding local generation in impact. Shanghai experiences the highest transmission influence (over 50%), while Zhejiang Province shows a dominant local generation influence (below 20%). In Anhui Province, O<sub>3</sub> concentrations are notably high, with significant internal transport and substantial transmission to Jiangsu Province. This study offers valuable insights into the pathways, traceability, and three-dimensional wind field characteristics of O<sub>3</sub> pollution across cities in the Yangtze River Delta, elucidating the dynamic mechanisms necessary for mitigating O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission in diverse urban settings.
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spelling doaj-art-e2406d0a26b145cfb1807610c1fd78db2025-08-20T03:12:04ZengMDPI AGAtmosphere2073-44332025-01-0116215810.3390/atmos16020158An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River DeltaYu Cao0Jinghui Ma1Xiaoyi Wang2Juanjuan Bian3Shanghai Typhoon Institute, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai 200030, ChinaShanghai Typhoon Institute, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai 200030, ChinaPlateau Atmosphere and Environment Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, College of Atmospheric Science, Chengdu University of Information Technology, Chengdu 610225, ChinaShanghai Typhoon Institute, Shanghai Meteorological Service, Shanghai 200030, ChinaUnderstanding the relative contributions of regional transport and local generation, alongside the nonlinear relationships between ozone (O<sub>3</sub>) and its precursors, is essential for formulating effective O<sub>3</sub> pollution control strategies. The Yangtze River Delta region experiences pronounced O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission between cities, with pollutants capable of spreading hundreds of kilometers downwind under varying wind, temperature, and humidity conditions. However, the distributional characteristics of regional O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission across different cities within this area remain unclear. This study applies the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality method to assess the spatial distribution of regional background and locally generated ozone concentrations, while using a composite analysis to examine the wind and temperature field characteristics during typical years of high ozone transport and local generation episodes. The results indicate that ozone concentrations across regions are strongly influenced by local wind anomalies, with elevated temperatures correlating with high O<sub>3</sub> concentrations. Furthermore, an algorithm based on observed O<sub>3</sub> concentrations and ground-level wind data was developed to quantify pollution transport rates more accurately, addressing uncertainties in pollutant transport dynamics due to variable wind fields and identifying “false” potential source areas. The findings reveal that intercity transport within the Yangtze River Delta contributes 45.2–65.1% to regional O<sub>3</sub> levels, exceeding local generation in impact. Shanghai experiences the highest transmission influence (over 50%), while Zhejiang Province shows a dominant local generation influence (below 20%). In Anhui Province, O<sub>3</sub> concentrations are notably high, with significant internal transport and substantial transmission to Jiangsu Province. This study offers valuable insights into the pathways, traceability, and three-dimensional wind field characteristics of O<sub>3</sub> pollution across cities in the Yangtze River Delta, elucidating the dynamic mechanisms necessary for mitigating O<sub>3</sub> pollution transmission in diverse urban settings.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/2/158wind fieldtransportationthe Texas commission on environmental quality (TCEQ) method
spellingShingle Yu Cao
Jinghui Ma
Xiaoyi Wang
Juanjuan Bian
An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
Atmosphere
wind field
transportation
the Texas commission on environmental quality (TCEQ) method
title An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
title_full An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
title_fullStr An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
title_full_unstemmed An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
title_short An Analysis of Regional Ozone Pollution Generation and Intercity Transport Characteristics in the Yangtze River Delta
title_sort analysis of regional ozone pollution generation and intercity transport characteristics in the yangtze river delta
topic wind field
transportation
the Texas commission on environmental quality (TCEQ) method
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/16/2/158
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