Chapter 7
Contribution of Atmospheric Reactive
Nitrogen to Ozone Pollution in China
Zhaozhong Feng, Wen Xu, and Bo Shang
Abstract This chapter illustrates mechanism of ozone (O 3 ) formation and summarizes the relationship between spatial-temporal patterns of NO x emission and groundlevel O 3 in China. High O 3 levels are observed in major Chinese metropolitan areas
such as the Yangtze River Delta, Jing-Jin-Ji, and Pearl River region. Ambient O 3
concentrations in almost all monitor sites were above the threshold recommended for
protecting plant growth. Thus, current O 3 levels have threatened the health and
function of ecosystems. Impacts of ground-level O 3 on plants, including crops and
tree species, are summarized based on the experimental results from open top chambers (OTCs) and free air ozone concentration elevation (O 3 -FACE) facilities. Some
recommendations for reduction of ground-level O 3 are presented in order to reduce its
negative effects as concluding remarks of this chapter.
7.1 Introduction
Air pollution is a serious ecological issue in China’s economically well-developed
areas such as Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and Pearl River Delta
regions (Wang et al. 2017). Air pollution in these areas not only deteriorates
regional and urban air quality but also severely affects health of people and
ecosystems (Zhang et al. 2016). Among six air pollutants (e.g., SO 2, PM 2.5 , PM 10 ,
NO 2 , CO, and O 3 ) officially tracked by Chinese air quality monitoring platform
(http://www.aqistudy.cn/), ground-level O 3 is the most phytotoxic air because it
Z. Feng (*)
School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology,
Nanjing, China
e-mail: zhaozhong.feng@nuist.edu.cn
W. Xu
National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing,
China
B. Shang
State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental
Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
X. Liu, E. Du (eds.), Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen in China,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8514-8_7
135
Contribution of Atmospheric Reactive
Nitrogen to Ozone Pollution in China
Zhaozhong Feng, Wen Xu, and Bo Shang
Abstract This chapter illustrates mechanism of ozone (O 3 ) formation and summarizes the relationship between spatial-temporal patterns of NO x emission and groundlevel O 3 in China. High O 3 levels are observed in major Chinese metropolitan areas
such as the Yangtze River Delta, Jing-Jin-Ji, and Pearl River region. Ambient O 3
concentrations in almost all monitor sites were above the threshold recommended for
protecting plant growth. Thus, current O 3 levels have threatened the health and
function of ecosystems. Impacts of ground-level O 3 on plants, including crops and
tree species, are summarized based on the experimental results from open top chambers (OTCs) and free air ozone concentration elevation (O 3 -FACE) facilities. Some
recommendations for reduction of ground-level O 3 are presented in order to reduce its
negative effects as concluding remarks of this chapter.
7.1 Introduction
Air pollution is a serious ecological issue in China’s economically well-developed
areas such as Yangtze River Delta, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, and Pearl River Delta
regions (Wang et al. 2017). Air pollution in these areas not only deteriorates
regional and urban air quality but also severely affects health of people and
ecosystems (Zhang et al. 2016). Among six air pollutants (e.g., SO 2, PM 2.5 , PM 10 ,
NO 2 , CO, and O 3 ) officially tracked by Chinese air quality monitoring platform
(http://www.aqistudy.cn/), ground-level O 3 is the most phytotoxic air because it
Z. Feng (*)
School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology,
Nanjing, China
e-mail: zhaozhong.feng@nuist.edu.cn
W. Xu
National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing,
China
B. Shang
State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental
Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
© Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020
X. Liu, E. Du (eds.), Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen in China,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-8514-8_7
135