Quantification for photochemical loss of volatile organic compounds upon ozone formation chemistry at an industrial city (Zibo) in North China Plain

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are consumed by photochemical reactions during transport, leading to inaccuracies in estimating the local ozone (O 3 ) formation mechanism and its subsequent strategy for O 3 attainment. To comprehensively quantify the deviations in O 3 formation mechanism by consumed VOCs (C-VOCs), a 5-month field campaign was conducted in a typical industrial city in Northern China over incorporating a 0-D box model (implemented with MCMv3.3.1). The averaged C-VOCs concentration was 6.8 ppbv during entire period, and Alkenes accounted for 62% dominantly. Without considering C-VOCs, the relative incremental reactivity (RIR) of anthropogenic VOCs (AVOC, overestimated by 68%-75%) and NO x (underestimated by 137%-527%) demonstrated deviations at multiple scenarios, and the RIR deviations for precursors in High-O 3 -periods (HOP) were lower than Low-O 3 -periods (LOP). The RIR deviations from individual species involved C-VOCs calculation did not impact the identification for the high-ranking-RIR AVOC species but nonnegligible. Monthly comparisons showed that higher C-VOCs concentrations would lead to higher RIR deviations. The daily maximum of net O x production rate (P(O x )) and the regional transport O x (Trans(O x )) without C-VOCs were underestimated by 56%-194% and 81%-243%, respectively. After considering C-VOCs, the contribution of HO 2 +NO for O x gross production (G(O x )) decreased by 7% (LOP) and 7% (HOP), but OH + NO 2 for O x destruction (D(O x )) decreased by 16% (LOP) and 23% (HOP), and alkenes + O 3 increased for D(O x ) by 12% (LOP) and 22% (HOP). This implies that VOCs-NO x -O 3 sensitivity was deviated between with/without C-VOCs, and severe O 3 pollution rendered deviations in O 3 formation, especially via NO x -driving chemistry. Based on RIR(NO x )/RIR(AVOC) with/without C-VOCs, the sensitivity regime shifted from VOCs-limited (-0.93) to transition (1.38) at LOP, and from VOCs-limited (0.19) to NO x -limited (3.79) at HOP. Our results reflected that the NO x limitation degree was underestimated without constraint C-VOCs, especially HOP, and provided implication to more precise O 3 pollution control strategies.