Measurement of the vertical profile of atmospheric SO2 during the heating period in Beijing on days of high air pollution

This paper reports altitude-resolved concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter up to 10 microns in diameter (PM10) in the planetary boundary layer of major urban centers during extreme pollution episodes. The concentration of SO2 was observed continuously from November 24, 2004, to December 4, 2004, in Beijing during the heating period. Fluorescence SO2 analyzers were used to measure the atmospheric SO2 concentrations. Four SO2 analyzers were placed at 4 different levels (8 m, 47 m, 120 m, and 280 m) of the 325-m high meteorological observation tower of the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP), Chinese Academy of Sciences. A maximal SO2 concentration of 172.3 ppb was measured during this pollution episode, and SO2 concentration increased with altitude and reached its maximal value at ∼50 m. The study also analyzed the meteorological situation before, during, and after the pollution episode.