Formation of particulate sulfate and nitrate over the Pearl River Delta in the fall: Diagnostic analysis using the Community Multiscale Air Quality model

In recent years, fine particulate matter (PM) pollution and visibility degradation have become severe air quality issues in China. In this study, PM2.5 pollution over the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region during January, April, August, and November 2009 was simulated using the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. An in-depth diagnostic analysis, focused on November 2009, was also conducted to reveal the patterns of sulfate and nitrate distribution, and to identify the main factors that influence the formation of sulfate and nitrate under typical meteorological conditions. The CMAQ model reasonably reproduced the observed concentrations, but showed better performance for January and November than it did for April and August, for which there was light-moderate underestimation of SO2, NOx, O3, PM10, and PM2.5 concentrations, and slight overestimation of daily 8-h maximum concentrations of O3. Utilizing a sulfate tracking technique, it was found that on nearly 20 days in November 2009, characterized by northeasterly winds, cross-boundary transport contributed to >75% of the total sulfate budget, while local gas phase oxidation and primary emissions averaged 10% and 8%, respectively. Aqueous sulfate typically contributed less than 1% of the total sulfate budget, except when the winds were directed from the sea and high humidity favored aqueous oxidation, and the percentage contribution reached up to 46%. NH3 was generally sufficient to fully neutralize H2SO4; however, the formation of nitrate over the PRD was limited by the availability of NH3.