Regional transport of anthropogenic pollution and dust aerosols in spring to Tianjin — A coastal megacity in China

Simultaneous measurements of columnar aerosol microphysical and optical properties, as well as PM2.5 chemical compositions, were made during two types of spring pollution episodes in Tianjin, a coastal megacity of China. The events were investigated using field observations, satellite data, model simulations, and meteorological fields. The lower Ångström Exponent and the higher aerosol optical depth on 29 March, compared with the earlier event on 26 March, implied a dominance of coarse mode particles — this was consistent with the differences in volume-size distributions. Based on the single scattering spectra, the dominant absorber (at blue wavelength) changed from black carbon during less polluted days to brown carbon on 26 March and dust on 29 March. The concentrations of major PM2.5 species for these two episodes also differed, with the earlier event enriched in pollution-derived substances and the later with mineral dust elements. The formation mechanisms of these two pollution episodes were also examined. The 26 March episode was attributed to the accumulation of both local emissions and anthropogenic pollutants transported from the southwest of Tianjin under the control of high pressure system. While the high aerosol loading on 29 March was caused by the mixing of transported dust from northwest source region with local urban pollution. The mixing of transported anthropogenic pollutants and dust with local emissions demonstrated the complexity of springtime pollution in Tianjin. The synergy of multi-scale observations showed excellent potential for air pollution study.