Characterization of haze pollution in Zibo, China: Temporal series, secondary species formation, and PMx distribution

An online field observation was conducted in Zibo, China from September 1, 2018 to February 28, 2019, covering autumn and winter. Within the investigation period, the mean mass concentrations of PM1, PM2.5, and PM10 were 49.3, 86.1, and 136.5 μg m−3, respectively. OA (organic aerosol) was the most dominant species in PM2.5 (39.7 %), followed by NO3− (26.3 %) and SO42− (17.0 %), indicating the importance of secondary species on PM2.5. Increase of particles were always accompanied increasing relative humidity (RH), slow wind, and increasing precursors, contributing the secondary transition. SO42− was more susceptible to RH, indicating the dominant role of heterogeneous processes in its secondary formation. As RH increased, its strengthening effect on SO42− increased as well. Photochemistry was the main contributor to the secondary formation of NO3−. The morning and evening rush hours determined the peak of absolute NO3− throughout the day. By classifying particles into three bins, we found that smaller particles were the biggest contributors (larger PM1/PM2.5) of slight pollution (35