Manual synoptic climate classification for the east coast of New England (USA) with an application to PM2.5 concentration

Cluster Analysis of the Organic Peaks in Bulk Mass Spectra Obtained During the 2002 New England Air Quality Study with an Aerodyne Aerosol Mass Spectrometer

“…1). Low fine particle concentrations with more organic carbon relative to sulphate than in the southwesterly winds are common in the region when the transport is from the northwest, north, and northeast with cold, dry conditions (Canadian High) (Slater et al, 2002;Keim et al, 2005). Hence, grouping the AMS dataset by wind direction is reasonably representative of these two weather conditions.…”

“…The highest loadings of both sulphate and organic mass occurred when the wind direction was from the southwest where the air masses had recently come from urban sources. Classification of the synoptic weather in New England shows that transport from the west, southwest, and south results in hot, humid conditions (Atlantic Return) and the highest fine particle concentrations (Slater et al, 2002;Keim et al, 2005). The AMS non-refractory aerosol mass loadings were significantly lower and dominated by organic material when the winds were from the north where monoterpene emissions were prevalent (see Fig.…”

“…13a of de Gouw et al, 2005). At this time, the synoptic climate classification for the region was a Canadian High, characterized by northerly or northwesterly winds from over Canada (Keim et al, 2005) with relatively high monoterpene emissions, moderate isoprene emissions, and low anthropogenic emissions (see Fig. 1).…”

A Study of Smog Issues and PM<sub>2.5</sub> Pollutant Control Strategies in China

“…Although China has sought to impose strict fuel quality standards, experts say they are often circumvented. As long as penalties for pollution violations are mild, the enforcement of air quality control is nominal [9]. The smog effects have not been isolated to Chinamany other countries have experienced the same set of effects during their industrial boom periods.…”

“…Areas adjacent to Beijing, such as Tianjin and Hebei Provinces, facing similar effects, have had over 100 smoggy days per year [8]. Research has shown that most high PM 2.5 events occur under a large surface highpressure system, which causes air to sink on a large scale and traps pollutants and moisture near the surface [9]. These systems are often associated with light winds, which prevent particles from ventilating out of an area.…”