High Time Resolution Source Apportionment of PM 2.5 in Beijing with Multiple Models

Abstract. Beijing has suffered from heavy local emissions as well as regional transport of air pollutants, resulting in severe atmospheric fine particle (PM 2.5 ) pollution. This study developed a combined method to investigate source types of PM 2.5 and its source regions during winter 2016 in Beijing, which include receptor model, footprint, and an air quality model. The receptor model was performed with high-time resolution measurements of trace elements, water soluble ions, organic carbon, and elemental carbon using online instruments during the wintertime campaign of the Air Pollution and Human Health-Beijing (APHH-Beijing) program in 2016. Source types and their contributions estimated by the receptor model (Positive Matrix Factorization, PMF) using online measurement were linked with source regions identified by the footprint model, and the regional transport contribution was estimated by an air quality model (the Nested Air Quality Prediction Model System, NAQPMS) to analyze the specific sources and source regions during haze episodes. Our results show that secondary and biomass burning sources were dominated by regional transport while the coal combustion source showed an increased local contribution, suggesting that strict control strategies for local coal combustion in Beijing and a reduction of biomass burning and gaseous precursor emissions in surrounding areas were essential to improve air quality in Beijing. The combination of PMF with footprint results revealed that the secondary source was mainly associated with southern footprints. The northern footprint was characterized by a high dust source contribution (11 %) while industrial sources increased with the eastern footprint. The results demonstrated the power of combining receptor model-based source apportionment with other models in understanding the formation of haze episodes and to identify specific sources from different source regions affecting air quality in Beijing.