Nitrogen Trifluoride Emissions in China from 2017 to 2021 Derived from Atmospheric Observations

Abstract

Rapid growth in the emissions of nitrogen trifluoride (NF₃), a potent greenhouse gas, poses a threat to the environment and the climate system. This study estimated NF₃ emissions and their spatial distribution in China from 2017 to 2021 based on atmospheric observations from nine background stations in China, by employing a Lagrangian-dispersion-model-based Bayesian inversion technique. We found that NF₃ emissions in China increased from 0.95 (0.82–1.07) Gg yr^–1 in 2017 to 1.41 (1.28–1.55) Gg yr^–1 in 2021, representing a substantial growth of 48% over this period. The absolute increase in NF₃ emissions in China over 2017–2020, 0.65 (0.57–0.74) Gg yr^–1is comparable to the increase in global emissions (0.63 (0.50–0.75) Gg yr^–1) over the same period. We identified substantial NF₃ emissions in the Pearl and Yangtze River Delta regions and Hubei Province, where well-established semiconductor industries could have contributed to NF₃ emissions. Moreover, large NF₃ emissions were identified in northern China, including Hebei, Henan, and Shandong Provinces. If control measures are not implemented, increasing NF₃ emissions may delay China’s progress toward achieving its carbon neutrality target by 2060.