Aerosol light absorption alleviates particulate pollution during wintertime haze events

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Wu, Jiarui; Bei, Naifang; Wang, Yuan; Su, Xiaoli; Zhang, Ningning; Wang, Lili; Hu, Bo; Wang, Qiyuan; Jiang, Qian; Zhang, Chenchong; Liu, Yangfan; Wang, Ruonan; Li, Xia; Lu, Yuxuan; Liu, Zirui; Cao, Junji; Tie, Xuexi; Li, Guohui; Seinfeld, John
• 署名单位: Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Earth Environment, CAS; Xi'an Jiaotong University; Stanford University; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Institute of Atmospheric Physics, CAS; California Institute of Technology
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-14117
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2402281121
• 发表日期: 2025-01-07
• 关键词: black carbon aerosols; mexico-city; absorbing aerosols; simulated impacts; northern china; hono sources; radiation; photochemistry; climate

摘要

Aerosol light absorption has been widely considered as a contributing factor to the worsening of particulate pollution in large urban areas, primarily through its role in stabilizing the planetary boundary layer (PBL). Here, we report that absorption- dominated aerosol-radiation interaction can decrease near- surface fine particulate matter concentrations ([PM2.5]) at a large- scale during wintertime haze events. A warm bubble effect by the significant heating rate of absorbing aerosols above the PBL top generates a secondary circulation, enhancing the upward motion (downward motion) and the convergence (divergence) in polluted (relatively clean) areas, with a net effect of lowering near- surface [PM2.5]. Furthermore, aerosol absorption of ultraviolet- wave light effectively reduces the photolysis of chemical species, i.e., aerosol-photolysis interaction, hindering ozone formation, reducing atmospheric oxidizing capability, and suppressing secondary aerosol concentrations. Our model assessment reveals that the synergetic two effects decrease near- surface [PM2.5] by around 7.4%, so the presence of light- absorbing aerosols can considerably alleviate particulate pollution during wintertime haze events. Such negative feedbacks to the aerosol loading should be considered in weather/climate prediction and health assessment models.