Persistent sulfate formation from London Fog to Chinese haze

• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1616540113
• Publication Date: 2016-11-15T03:30:41Z
• Authors: Gehui Wang; Renyi Zhang; Mario E. Gomez; Lingxiao Yang; Misti Levy Zamora; Min Hu; Yun Lin; Jianfei Peng; Song Guo; Jingjing Meng; Jianjun Li; Chunlei Cheng; Tafeng Hu; Yanqin Ren; Yuesi Wang; Jian Gao; Junji Cao; Zhisheng An; Weijian Zhou; Guohui Li; Jiayuan Wang; Pengfei Tian; Wilmarie Marrero-...; Jeremiah Secrest; Zhuofei Du; Jing Zheng; Dongjie Shang; Limin Zeng; Min Shao; Weigang Wang; Yao Huang; Yuan Wang; Yujiao Zhu; Yixin Li; Jiaxi Hu; Bowen Pan; Li Cai; Yuting Cheng; Yuemeng Ji; Fang Zhang; Daniel Rosenfeld; Peter S. Liss; Robert A. Duce; Charles E. Kolb; Mario J. Molina
• Keywords: Haze; Sulfate aerosol

Significance Exceedingly high levels of fine particulate matter (PM) occur frequently in China, but the mechanism severe haze formation remains unclear. From atmospheric measurements two Chinese megacities and laboratory experiments, we show that oxidation SO 2 by NO occurs efficiently aqueous media under polluted conditions: first, during 1952 London Fog via in-cloud oxidation; second, on PM with NH 3 neutralization China. We suggest effective mitigation is achievable intervening sulfate process emission control measures. Hence, our results explain outstanding sulfur problem historic elucidate chemical