Study of winter haze pollution events in Jinan (China)

A comprehensive study of the formation process of winter haze pollution in Jinan, China, was conducted using ground and satellite observation data from January 2 to January 13, 2022. According to the variations in the pollutant concentrations, three haze pollution events occurred in the Jinan area during this period. Compared to haze pollution event 1, event 2 lasted longer and exhibited a cumulative growth state with hourly PM2.5 values peaking at 250 mu g/m3. This was primarily caused by a mixture of local and nearby pollutants emitted in Jinan. Haze pollution event 3 was shorter and showed a similar trend to event 2, but the event dissipated rapidly after it was generated. Moreover, unfavorable weather factors, such as lower wind speeds, a stable inversion layer, and higher relative humidity, contributed to pollution accumulation and haze event formations. In addition, important photochemical processes also influenced haze pollution formation. The results of this study revealed the haze pollution formation process in Jinan. These results are helpful for promoting the study of regional climate changes and provide a reference for the government to prevent and control haze pollution in eastern China.