Distribution and Potential Sources of Surface Aerosol Particles in the Yangtze River Delta Region,China

Based on meteorological and pollution data from January 2017 to December 2019, in this paper the long-term distribution of surface aerosol particles, and the interaction between aerosol pollution and meteorological factors in four cities of the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region is investigated. The long-term observation shows the law of typical aerosol pollution characteristics. Meteorological factors are significantly different during aerosol-polluted and nonpolluted days. The effect of each meteorological factor on aerosol pollution may vary by different seasons and cities. The changes in meteorological factors are not completely consistent during aerosol fine-mode and coarse-mode polluted days. To distinguish the possible sources of surface aerosol particles, the potential source contribution function and concentration-weighted trajectory models are applied to study transport sources. Based on the detailed analyses, this study will provide a reliable basis for further pollution control in the YRD.