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Recent studies show that the rapid increases in urbanization and human activities in the PRD region have important impacts on regional air quality. In addition to local anthropogenic emissions which are major driving forces for poor air quality in this region, biomass burning in Southeast Asia has also important contribution on aerosol and ozone concentrations in the PRD region. In this paper, this effect is analyzed by using satellite data, ground measurements and models. MODIS aerosol optical depth (AOD) distribution in March 2006 shows a clear enhancement in AOD between Southeast Asia and the PRD region. With detail wind analysis, two distinguished conditions are classified, i.e., Condition-1 (PRD is under influence of the biomass burning from Southeast Asia) and Condition-2 (PRD is not under influence of the biomass burning from Southeast Asia). The characterizations of aerosol, UV, and ozone in Guangzhou city (located in the PRD region) under these two conditions are analyzed. The analyses suggest that aerosols and CO concentrations are higher in Condition-1 than in Condition-2; while the UV intensity and O3 concentrations are lower in Condition-1 than in Condition-2. This result indicates that in Condition-1, the enhanced aerosol concentrations from the Southeast Asia biomass burning produce reduction of UV intensity, and thus decreases the formation of ozone in Guangzhou. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Atmospheric aerosol particles serving as Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) are key elements of the hydrological cycle and climate. We measured and characterized CCN in polluted air and biomass burning smoke during the PRIDE-PRD2006 campaign from 1-30 July 2006 at a rural site ~60 km northwest of the mega-city Guangzhou in southeastern China. CCN efficiency spectra (activated fraction vs. dry particle diameter; 20-290 nm) were recorded at water vapor supersaturations (S) in the range of 0.068% to 1.27%. The corresponding effective hygroscopicity parameters describing the influence of particle composition on CCN activity were in the range of κ≈0.1-0.5. The campaign average value of κ=0.3 equals the average value of κ for other continental locations. During a strong local biomass burning event, the average value of κ dropped to 0.2, which can be considered as characteristic for freshly emitted smoke from the burning of agricultural waste. At low S (≤0.27%), the maximum activated fraction remained generally well below one, indicating substantial portions of externally mixed CCN-inactive particles with much lower hygroscopicity - most likely soot particles (up to ~60% at ~250 nm). The mean CCN number concentrations (NCCN,S) ranged from 1000 cm-3 at S=0.068% to 16 000 cm-3 at S=1.27%, which is about two orders of magnitude higher than in pristine air. Nevertheless, the ratios between CCN concentration and total aerosol particle concentration (integral CCN efficiencies) were similar to the ratios observed in pristine continental air (~6% to ~85% at S=0.068% to 1.27%). Based on the measurement data, we have tested different model approaches for the approximation/prediction of NCCN,S. Depending on S and on the model approach, the relative deviations between observed and predicted NCCN,S ranged from a few percent to several hundred percent. The largest deviations occurred at low S with a simple power law. With a Köhler model using variable κ values obtained from individual CCN efficiency spectra, the relative deviations were on average less than ~10% and hardly exceeded 20%, confirming the applicability of the κ-Köhler model approach for efficient description of the CCN activity of atmospheric aerosols. Note, however, that different types of κ-parameters must be distinguished for external mixtures of CCN-active and -inactive aerosol particles (κa, κt, κcut). Using a constant average hygroscopicity parameter (κ=0.3) and variable size distributions as measured, the deviations between observed and predicted CCN concentrations were on average less than 20%. In contrast, model calculations using variable hygroscopicity parameters as measured and constant size distributions led to much higher deviations: ~70% for the campaign average size distribution, ~80% for a generic rural size distribution, and ~140% for a generic urban size distribution. These findings confirm earlier studies suggesting that aerosol particle number and size are the major predictors for the variability of the CCN concentration in continental boundary layer air, followed by particle composition and hygroscopicity as relatively minor modulators. Depending on the required and applicable level of detail, the information and parameterizations presented in this study should enable efficient description of the CCN activity of atmospheric aerosols in detailed process models as well as in large-scale atmospheric and climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respirable suspended particulates (RSP, i.e., particles with an aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm or less) were measured in 2004 and 2005 at seven sites in the rapidly developing Guangzhou area of China. The average RSP concentration was 126 μg m−3, a high level that could be very harmful to human health. The chemical species composition of the RSP, including organic and elemental carbon, water-soluble ions, and elemental compositions, was also analyzed. The organics and sulfate may be the major components of RSP mass concentrations. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) was used to identify the sources of RSP as secondary sulfates (32%), secondary nitrates (6%), biomass burning (15%), coal fly ash/cement (18%), sea salt (3%), crustal dust (5%), vehicle exhaust (6%), and coal-fired power plants (3%). Reducing coal combustion and controlling vehicle emissions would alleviate RSP pollution, as most of the precursors were components of coal burning emissions and vehicular exhaust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which estimated the plant biomass and net primary production (NPP) of urban vegetation in Guangzhou, China by dimension analysis, tree truck volume and harvest methods. Cause of the greenhouse effect; Biomass and NPP production of forest; Role of urban vegetation on balance of carbon and oxygen.