Atmospheric Environment最新文献

{"title":"Biogenic volatile organic compounds produced by two unicellular and two filamentous cyanobacteria after a high light shock","authors":"Klaudia Kwidzińska ,&nbsp;Marta Hryniewicka ,&nbsp;Magda Caban","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121252","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121252","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The emission of biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) is increasing due to the effects of climate change, and the related increases in biomass production and phytoplankton blooms. The Baltic Sea is subject to increased pollution and average temperature rises, with cyanobacterial blooms happening more often. For the majority of Baltic cyanobacteria, there is no information about BVOCs production. Thereby, in our study, we decided to qualitatively analyze these chemicals in four species common for the Baltic Sea and its lagoons: <em>Synechocystis salina</em>, <em>Microcystis aeruginosa</em>, <em>Nodularia spumigena</em>, and <em>Aphanizomenon flos-aquae.</em> A high light stressor was used as a trigger for the production of BVOCs in monocultures. Depending on the species, two to seven compounds were identified from groups of cyclic and aliphatic alkanes, alcohols, aldehydes, and terpenes. β-cyclocitral (representative of nor-carotenoids) was obtained in <em>M. aeruginosa,</em> and for the first time, it was detected as being produced by <em>N. spumigena</em>. Two unidentified compounds were also found. For one of them, the analysis of mass spectra showed that it could be a sulfur-based compound. The study presents for the first time BVOCs that are produced by <em>S. salina</em>, <em>N. spumigena</em>, and <em>A. flos-aquae</em> after light stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121252"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143847499","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Switch of gaseous element mercury source/sink in a Hg-contaminated subtropical forest by variation in atmospheric Hg pollution","authors":"Yuchun Zhang ,&nbsp;Piaopiao Ke ,&nbsp;Qian Yu ,&nbsp;Yu Zhao ,&nbsp;Lei Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuxiao Wang ,&nbsp;Lei Duan","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121239","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121239","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The exchange of gaseous element mercury (GEM) between forests and atmosphere is an important part of the global mercury (Hg) cycle. However, there is ongoing debate about whether forests are as a net sink or source of GEM, especially in Hg-polluted regions. This study monitored the GEM fluxes over the canopy of an Hg-contaminated forest in subtropical Southwest China from August 2017 to December 2020 b y the aerodynamic gradient method. From August 2017 to July 2018, the atmospheric GEM concentration was 4.41 ± 1.49 ng m⁻³, with the forest serving as a source, exhibiting an average GEM flux of 101 ± 226 ng m⁻² h⁻¹, higher in summer (270 ng m⁻² h⁻¹) and lower in spring (13.3 ng m⁻² h⁻¹). By contrast, after 2019, the atmospheric concentration increased to 10.8 ± 36.3 ng m⁻³, due probably to adjacent city construction, resulting in the forest being switched to a net GEM sink (−48.5 ± 254 ng m⁻² h⁻¹). These findings indicated that atmospheric GEM concentration might play a major role in the GEM sink/source transition of forests. Future decreases in atmospheric Hg concentration may prompt the forest to release GEM again. Further studies are required to determine the time needed for the GEM exchange between the atmosphere and forest to reach a balance.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121239"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143835146","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reassessing the missing OH reactivity based on organic molecular formulas: Comparison between urban and regional environments","authors":"Jipeng Qi ,&nbsp;Bin Yuan ,&nbsp;Wenjie Wang ,&nbsp;Sihang Wang ,&nbsp;Xianjun He ,&nbsp;Yubin Chen ,&nbsp;Yuwen Peng ,&nbsp;Yibo Huangfu ,&nbsp;Xiao-Bing Li ,&nbsp;Min Shao","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121240","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121240","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Closure studies on the total OH reactivity (OHR) are essential for validating comprehensive measurements of reactive volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in various atmospheric environments. Nonetheless, discrepancies persist between measured OHR and calculated OHR in many field observations, primarily due to the presence of unknown VOCs and their reaction rate constants with OH radicals. This study optimized the method for calculating the rate constant (<em>k</em>_OH) between isomers by categorization. The missing OH reactivity was reevaluated in an urban and a regional environment based on molecular formula. A notable missing OH reactivity was found during the rush hours in the morning and evening at the urban site, whereas the measured OHR agreed well with the calculated OHR at the regional site. Our analysis revealed that the oxidation products of VOCs significantly contributed to the OHR in highly-oxidizing atmospheres. After adding oxygenated VOCs, a negative correlation between missing OH reactivity and OH exposure was obtained. Finally, we determined the mean <em>k</em>_OH values for unknown VOCs to be 9.0 × 10⁻¹¹ cm³ molecule⁻¹ s⁻¹ at the urban site, respectively. These findings indicate that a comprehensive measurement of oxygenated VOCs can facilitate a comprehensive assessment of reactive VOCs under highly-oxidizing atmospheric conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121240"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143835134","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Improved estimation of new particle formation rate for air quality model in a polluted region of South Korea","authors":"Yusin Kim ,&nbsp;Sangdeok Shim ,&nbsp;Seogju Cho ,&nbsp;Seong Soo Yum ,&nbsp;Chul Han Song ,&nbsp;Sung Hoon Park","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121237","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121237","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Ambient atmospheric aerosol particles consist of primary particles that are directly emitted and secondary particles that are formed through nucleation or chemical reactions. The number concentration of aerosol particles in the atmosphere, which has a significant impact on air quality and climate, is largely influenced by secondary particles formed through nucleation. Therefore, a precise understanding of nucleation is essential. Homogeneous nucleation is a mechanism in which new condensed-phase substances, aerosol particles, are generated through the phase transition of vapor under conditions of vapor supersaturation. Several theories have been proposed to explain nucleation processes, including H₂SO₄-H₂O binary homogeneous nucleation, H₂SO₄-H₂O-NH₃ ternary homogeneous nucleation, and ion-mediated nucleation. In practice, many air quality models including Community Multiscale Air Quality Modeling system (CMAQ) still use only H₂SO₄-H₂O binary homogeneous nucleation module to calculate nucleation rates. The comparison and validation of different nucleation theories in the polluted regions of South Korea has never been conducted. In this study, we used CMAQv5.2 to simulate the aerosol number concentration at Seoul Olympic Park during the KORUS-AQ campaign. The results revealed that the model underestimated the aerosol number concentration by approximate a factor of 10 compared to observations. This is primarily due to nucleation rates, which raises the need for an alternative module with higher accuracy. To simulate nucleation rates and aerosol number concentrations, we applied five different nucleation modules to a box model Korea Air quality observation-based Box model (KAB) as well as a 3-dimensional chemical transport model CMAQ. Based on the KAB modeling results, the ion-mediated H₂SO₄-H₂O binary nucleation module resulted in a significantly higher nucleation rate compared to the calculations from the existing modules (0.06 cm⁻³s⁻¹ vs. 1.16 cm⁻³s⁻¹), providing values closer to the observed nucleation rates. And according to the CMAQ modeling results, ternary H₂SO₄-H₂O-NH₃ homogeneous nucleation module gave the calculated aerosol number concentration the closest to the observed value. Such comparisons between modules are expected to be useful for selecting the most suitable nucleation module for the atmospheric conditions in South Korea.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121237"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of personal exposure to volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) in small-scale dry-cleaning facilities using passive sampling","authors":"Ji Hoon Seo ,&nbsp;Pil-Gon Kim ,&nbsp;Yun-Hee Choi ,&nbsp;Wonsik Shin ,&nbsp;Stefana Sochichiu ,&nbsp;Amir Hossein Khoshakhlagh ,&nbsp;Jung-Hwan Kwon","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121235","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121235","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study evaluates personal exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in 50 workers from small-scale dry-cleaning facilities using optimized ePTFE passive samplers, analyzing 13 VOCs. At mean exposure levels, significant non-carcinogenic risks were identified for trichloroethylene (TCE), while carcinogenic risks were confirmed for five compounds: styrene, benzene, ethylbenzene, dichloroethene (DCE), and perchloroethylene (PCE). Workers most frequently reported health changes (48 %), followed by specific symptoms such as dry skin (24 %), fatigue (22 %), skin irritation (20 %), and eye fatigue (20 %), all of which were associated with exposure to different VOCs in the workplace. These findings highlight the need for continuous monitoring and guidelines regarding working hours, particularly in small-scale workplaces. The VOC emissions from dry-cleaning facilities not only pose direct health risks to workers but also contribute to environmental pollution, highlighting the importance of proactive management and control measures in these businesses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121235"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143830118","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Tropospheric ozone precursors over the Indian region: Insights into the shift toward a highly NOx-limited regime","authors":"Anoop Pakkattil,&nbsp;Sachin Ghude","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study comprehensively analyzes trends in tropospheric ozone precursors over the Indian region from 2018 to 2024, focusing on nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), formaldehyde (HCHO), and glyoxal (CHOCHO), using TROPOMI onboard Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite datasets. Our results reveal contrasting trends: while HCHO and CHOCHO show consistent increases, NO₂ exhibits a slight decrease over the past few years, likely reflecting the impact of emission control measures. The mean growth rate calculated for HCHO Vertical Column Density (VCD) is ∼1.7 % yr⁻¹ and ∼2 % yr⁻¹ for CHOCHO, whereas tropospheric NO₂ VCDs show a slower growth rate of ∼ −0.21 %yr⁻¹, indicating a reduction in NO_x emissions over recent years. The growth rate of HCHO is consistent with findings from previous studies. However, unlike earlier long-term studies, a recent decline in NO₂ has been observed. Long-term OMI dataset measurements are used to corroborate these findings. Analysis of the formaldehyde-to-nitrogen ratio indicates that the Indian mainland region is mostly NO_x-limited in nature, and further shifts toward highly NO_x-limited ozone production are observed in most parts of the study area. Seasonal patterns show pronounced peaks in NO₂ during winter and HCHO and CHOCHO during pre- and post-monsoon seasons, underscoring the significant influence of biomass burning and agricultural activities on precursor levels. The seasonal variation in the Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) and fire density was analyzed to assess emissions from biogenic and pyrogenic sources. These findings emphasize the complexity of ozone precursor dynamics in India, highlighting the need for targeted emission controls to mitigate regional ozone pollution.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121233"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143850504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Field observations of intermediate volatile organic compounds during haze events in three cities of northern China: Characteristics, sources and contributions to SOA formation","authors":"Minjun Jiang ,&nbsp;Xinxin Feng ,&nbsp;Yanli Feng ,&nbsp;Yanjie Lu ,&nbsp;Li Li ,&nbsp;Yingjun Chen ,&nbsp;Tian Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121232","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121232","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) are the most important precursor of secondary organic aerosols (SOA) in the atmosphere, and there remains a deficiency of in-depth research regarding their concentrations, compositions, sources, and contribution to SOA. In this study, IVOCs and PM_2.5 samples with high-temporal-resolution were collected during five winter haze episodes (defined as ZB-P1, ZB-P2, HEB-P1, HEB-P2, and ZK-P1) in three cities in northern China (Harbin, Zibo, and Zhoukou). Among the three sampling sites, Harbin (HEB) recorded the highest IVOCs (73.1 ± 20.9 μg/m³) and PM_2.5 (193.5 ± 62.7 μg/m³), followed by Zhoukou (ZK) 57.5 ± 40.5 μg/m³ and 153.3 ± 78.4 μg/m³, and the lowest was Zibo (ZB) 24.4 ± 11.1 μg/m³ and 130.5 ± 53.2 μg/m³. During all haze episodes, IVOC_UCM was the main component of IVOCs, but the second dominant components varied among the cities. IVOC_n-alkanes was the dominant component in ZB, While IVOC_PAHs in HEB, and IVOC_b-alkanes in ZK. IVOCs exhibited a statistically significant inverse correlation with PM_2.5 and SOA_OC/EC (R = −0.48). It was found that IVOC_PAHs exhibited the highest reactivity among the four categories and might contribute more significantly to SOA. For some n-alkanes and PAHs, Dodecane (n-C12), Heptadecane (n-C17), and Acenaphthene (ACE) were more reactive species. Using the PMF model and accounting for the photochemical loss of IVOCs, four sources of IVOCs were identified: gasoline exhaust, biomass/coal combustion, diesel-related emissions, and other sources (industrial sources and fireworks emissions). Biomass/coal combustion dominated (54.6 % and 58.1 %, observed and initial) in HEB, while industrial sources were predominant in ZB (63 % and 62.7 %), and fireworks were the main source in ZK (67.5 % and 68.2 %). Our results highlight that biomass/coal combustion, industrial sources and vehicle emissions remain the primary control objects. We also suggest that there is a need to strengthen the emission control strategy for PAHs in IVOCs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121232"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143835135","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Source characteristics and gas-particle partitioning of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in coal combustion emissions","authors":"Cheng Yang ,&nbsp;Fang Yin ,&nbsp;Hao Wang ,&nbsp;Xianbin Li ,&nbsp;Penghao Su ,&nbsp;Daolun Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Investigations into the characteristics and phase-partitioning behavior of alkylated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (alkyl-PAHs) during coal combustion process remain notably limited. This study aims to analyze the source characteristics, distribution patterns, and partitioning mechanisms of parent and alkyl-PAHs in gas and particle phase emissions from coal combustion. The results show that 30.77 %–49.37 % of parent PAHs from coking, gas, lean and fat coal combustion emissions are distributed in gas phases, while it accounts for 78.59 % in lignite coal combustion emission. In terms of alkyl-PAHs, 79.05 %–89.45 % of coking, gas and lean coal combustion emissions are presented in particle phases, and 62.66 %–69.32 % of lignite and fat coal combustion emissions are presented in gas phases. Moreover, the PAH <em>p</em>-values from coal combustion emissions are in the range of −1.00 to −0.68, and the alkylated ones range from −0.80 to −0.54. Interestingly, alkylated phenanthrenes maintain a high degree of uniformity in the distribution patterns of combustion emissions, and their bell-shape distribution pattern performs to be a potential indicator of coal combustion. Furthermore, by employing partitioning models, it can be proven that absorption and adsorption are governing PAH partitioning mechanisms, and alkyl-PAHs can reach equilibrium more rapidly than parent PAHs. These findings offer detailed data into source analysis and the fate of alkyl-PAHs from coal combustion, which is expected to be helpful for environmental behavior investigation and better pollution control of coal combustion.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 121231"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826249","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Recent advancements in observations, sources, and environmental effects of atmospheric hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)","authors":"Lian Duan ,&nbsp;Shuyuan Jia ,&nbsp;Xuran Li ,&nbsp;Yalong Wang ,&nbsp;Yiming Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuang Fu ,&nbsp;Yang Wang ,&nbsp;Can Ye ,&nbsp;Pengfei Liu ,&nbsp;Zongbo Shi ,&nbsp;Yujing Mu","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121230","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Atmospheric hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) is an important oxidant in the troposphere that impacts atmospheric oxidation capacity and plays key roles in S(IV) oxidation. In the past decade, researchers have proposed new H₂O₂ formation mechanisms as well as its significant environmental effects, based on field measurements, laboratory experiments, and modeling. However, these unconventional chemical processes related to atmospheric H₂O₂ have not been systematically reviewed, previous reviews on atmospheric H₂O₂ were published in the early 2000s. Herein, we review the recent atmospheric H₂O₂ studies throughout the world, mainly focusing on the observations, sources, and environmental effects of atmospheric H₂O₂. First, we summarize the temporal and vertical distributions of atmospheric H₂O₂ across urban, rural, mountainous, forested, and oceanic regions, as well as the upper atmosphere. Next, we discuss recent advancements in understanding potential sources of atmospheric H₂O₂ and its multiphase formation mechanisms. Finally, the increasing environmental effects of atmospheric H₂O₂, including its role in diagnosis of O₃-NO_x-VOCs sensitivity and significance in sulfate formation, are outlined. This review will help gain a comprehensive understanding of atmospheric H₂O₂ evolution and call for more future studies on atmospheric H₂O₂ to better deal with the current complex air pollution challenges.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"352 ","pages":"Article 121230"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143826338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of tourism on the local air quality in the Mountain Laoshan forest scenic areas","authors":"Yang Jiao ,&nbsp;Yangang Ren ,&nbsp;Jinhe Wang ,&nbsp;Ravi Yadav ,&nbsp;Shan Chen ,&nbsp;Chengtang Liu ,&nbsp;Jiangshan Mu ,&nbsp;Likun Xue ,&nbsp;Yujing Mu ,&nbsp;Abdelwahid Mellouki","doi":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.atmosenv.2025.121229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Tourism activities can have a significant impact on air quality in forest scenic areas. In this work, we measured the levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including carbonyls and non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs), in the national forest park of Mountain Laoshan (Mt. Laoshan) in Qingdao, China, and evaluated the impact of these levels on air quality in this specific area. We found that during the May Day holidays (May 1–5, 2021), when the number of tourists is typically high, the average of VOCs total concentration was around 23.8 ± 22.6 ppbv, about 1.5 times higher than during periods with fewer tourists, ≈16.3 ± 15.2 ppbv. Most VOC species exhibited a bimodal profile diurnal variation during lunch and dinner periods. Using the Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model, five anthropogenic sources were identified, with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) usage and traffic emissions being the two primary sources of VOCs in the Mt. Laoshan forest scenic area, respectively. The results indicate that tourism has a significant impact on atmospheric VOCs levels in the investigated area. Based on a 0-D model, we studied the effects of additional emissions from human activity on the atmospheric chemistry in the Mt. Laoshan forest scenic area. It was found that the additional NOx and VOCs emissions from tourism obviously increased the NO₃ reactivity during the night and OH formation during the daytime, which significantly increases the local atmospheric oxidation capacity. Therefore, this study emphasizes the significant impact of tourism activities, such as catering and traffic emissions, on the local air quality in forest scenic areas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":250,"journal":{"name":"Atmospheric Environment","volume":"353 ","pages":"Article 121229"},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-04-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143837969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}