Chapter 14
National Regulation of SO 2 and NO x
Emissions in China
Yu Zhao and Yinmin Xia
Abstract Under big challenges to reduce local and regional air pollution, China has
been conducting an aggressive policy of energy saving and emission control since
2005. The benefits of the policy on pollutant emissions could be indicated through
the inter-annual trends in SO 2 and NO X emissions for 2000–2014. From a bottom-up
perspective, the policy improved the energy efficiency and elevated the use of
emission control devices for power and other big industrial plants, and the emission
factors were reduced for most cases. Satellite-derived vertical column densities
(VCDs) are used to evaluate the temporal and spatial patterns of emissions across
the country. Discrepancy existed in the inter-annual trends between SO 2 VCDs and
emissions. Such comparison is improved with an optimistic emission case in which
the emission standards for selected industrial sectors issued after 2010 had been fully
implemented. Suggested by VCDs and the optimistic emission case, SO 2 control
during the 12
th 5-year plan (12
th FYP, 2011–2015) period was more effective than
that during the 11
th FYP period (2006–2010). In contrast to fast growth before 2011
driven by increased coal consumption and limited controls, NO X emissions declined
from 2011 to 2014 due to application of selective catalytic/non-catalytic reduction
systems in the power sector. Reduced NO 2 VCDs were detected, particularly in
highly polluted Eastern China and Pearl River Delta regions. Given the strict
controls in developed areas, air pollution has been expanding to less-developed
neighboring regions. Transportation is playing an increasingly important role in air
pollution, suggested by the increased ratio of NO 2 to SO 2 VCDs. A faster decrease of
alkaline base cations than that of SO 2 may raise the acidification risks to ecosystems,
implying the need of further control of acid precursors.
This chapter is mainly based on previous work of the authors (e.g., Xia et al. 2016).
Y. Zhao (*) · Y. Xia
School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
e-mail: yuzhao@nju.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_14
311
National Regulation of SO 2 and NO x
Emissions in China
Yu Zhao and Yinmin Xia
Abstract Under big challenges to reduce local and regional air pollution, China has
been conducting an aggressive policy of energy saving and emission control since
2005. The benefits of the policy on pollutant emissions could be indicated through
the inter-annual trends in SO 2 and NO X emissions for 2000–2014. From a bottom-up
perspective, the policy improved the energy efficiency and elevated the use of
emission control devices for power and other big industrial plants, and the emission
factors were reduced for most cases. Satellite-derived vertical column densities
(VCDs) are used to evaluate the temporal and spatial patterns of emissions across
the country. Discrepancy existed in the inter-annual trends between SO 2 VCDs and
emissions. Such comparison is improved with an optimistic emission case in which
the emission standards for selected industrial sectors issued after 2010 had been fully
implemented. Suggested by VCDs and the optimistic emission case, SO 2 control
during the 12
th 5-year plan (12
th FYP, 2011–2015) period was more effective than
that during the 11
th FYP period (2006–2010). In contrast to fast growth before 2011
driven by increased coal consumption and limited controls, NO X emissions declined
from 2011 to 2014 due to application of selective catalytic/non-catalytic reduction
systems in the power sector. Reduced NO 2 VCDs were detected, particularly in
highly polluted Eastern China and Pearl River Delta regions. Given the strict
controls in developed areas, air pollution has been expanding to less-developed
neighboring regions. Transportation is playing an increasingly important role in air
pollution, suggested by the increased ratio of NO 2 to SO 2 VCDs. A faster decrease of
alkaline base cations than that of SO 2 may raise the acidification risks to ecosystems,
implying the need of further control of acid precursors.
This chapter is mainly based on previous work of the authors (e.g., Xia et al. 2016).
Y. Zhao (*) · Y. Xia
School of the Environment, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
e-mail: yuzhao@nju.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_14
311