Chapter 2
Anthropogenic Emissions of SO 2 , NO x ,
and NH 3 in China
Qiang Zhang, Yu Song, Meng Li, and Bo Zheng
Abstract Since 2010 China has contributed approximately 30% of SO 2 , 24% of
NO x , and 20% of NH 3 global anthropogenic emissions, which has caused severe air
pollution and led to adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. Reliable
emission estimation for SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 from anthropogenic sources is essential
for both understanding the sources of air pollution and designing effective air
pollution control measures. In this chapter, long-term anthropogenic emissions of
SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 in China, their driving forces, and underlying uncertainties are
analyzed systematically. Emissions of SO 2 and NO x have significantly decreased as
a consequence of stringent clean air policies implemented in China in recent years.
National emissions of SO 2 and NO x decreased by 62% and 17% during 2010–2017,
respectively. Emission control measures are the main drivers of these reductions,
among which pollution controls on power plants and industries are the most effective
mitigation measures. The total NH 3 emissions in China increased from 5.9 to
11.1 Tg from 1980 to 1996, driven by increasing demand for meat and enhanced
crop yields, and then decreased to 9.7 Tg in 2012. The two major contributors were
livestock manure and synthetic fertilizer application, which contributed 80–90% of
total NH 3 emissions. Emission estimates from various investigations are compared
from bottom-up and top-down perspectives. Finally, we suggest future directions for
accurate emission estimates and improved design of air pollution control policies in
China.
This chapter is mainly based on three papers by the authors (Kang et al. 2016; Li et al. 2017b; Zheng
et al. 2018), the contents of which are reused under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 / 4.0
Licenses.
Q. Zhang (*) · M. Li · B. Zheng
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department for Earth
System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
e-mail: qiangzhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
Y. Song (*)
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of
Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
e-mail: songyu@pku.edu.cn
© 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_2
13
Anthropogenic Emissions of SO 2 , NO x ,
and NH 3 in China
Qiang Zhang, Yu Song, Meng Li, and Bo Zheng
Abstract Since 2010 China has contributed approximately 30% of SO 2 , 24% of
NO x , and 20% of NH 3 global anthropogenic emissions, which has caused severe air
pollution and led to adverse impacts on human health and ecosystems. Reliable
emission estimation for SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 from anthropogenic sources is essential
for both understanding the sources of air pollution and designing effective air
pollution control measures. In this chapter, long-term anthropogenic emissions of
SO 2 , NO x , and NH 3 in China, their driving forces, and underlying uncertainties are
analyzed systematically. Emissions of SO 2 and NO x have significantly decreased as
a consequence of stringent clean air policies implemented in China in recent years.
National emissions of SO 2 and NO x decreased by 62% and 17% during 2010–2017,
respectively. Emission control measures are the main drivers of these reductions,
among which pollution controls on power plants and industries are the most effective
mitigation measures. The total NH 3 emissions in China increased from 5.9 to
11.1 Tg from 1980 to 1996, driven by increasing demand for meat and enhanced
crop yields, and then decreased to 9.7 Tg in 2012. The two major contributors were
livestock manure and synthetic fertilizer application, which contributed 80–90% of
total NH 3 emissions. Emission estimates from various investigations are compared
from bottom-up and top-down perspectives. Finally, we suggest future directions for
accurate emission estimates and improved design of air pollution control policies in
China.
This chapter is mainly based on three papers by the authors (Kang et al. 2016; Li et al. 2017b; Zheng
et al. 2018), the contents of which are reused under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 / 4.0
Licenses.
Q. Zhang (*) · M. Li · B. Zheng
Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department for Earth
System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
e-mail: qiangzhang@tsinghua.edu.cn
Y. Song (*)
State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Department of
Environmental Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
e-mail: songyu@pku.edu.cn
© 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_2
13