A Comparative Investigation of the Characteristics of Nocturnal Ozone Enhancement Events and Their Effects on Ground-Level Ozone and PM2.5 in the Central City of the Yellow River Delta, China, in 2022 and 2023

Abstract

In recent years, nocturnal ozone enhancement (NOE) events have emerged as a prominent research focus in the field of the atmospheric environment. By using statistical analysis methods, we conducted a comparative investigation of nocturnal ozone concentrations and NOE events in Dongying, the central city of the Yellow River Delta, China, in 2022 and 2023, and further explored the effects of NOE events on O3 and PM2.5 on the same night and the subsequent day. The results showed that from 2022 to 2023, in Dongying, the annual average nocturnal ozone concentrations increased from 51 μg/m3 to 59 μg/m3, and the frequency of NOE events was higher in the spring, summer, and autumn, and lower in the winter. The NOE events not only exhibited promoting effects on nocturnal O3 and Ox, and on the daily maximum 8 h average concentration of O3 (MDA8-O3) on the same day (comparatively noticeable in summer and autumn), but also demonstrated a clear impact on nocturnal PM2.5 and PM2.5-bounded NO3− and SO42− (especially in winter). Additionally, the NOE events also led to higher concentrations of O3 and Ox, as well as higher MDA8-O3 levels during the subsequent day, with more observable impacts in the summer. The results could strengthen our understanding about NOE events and provide a scientific basis for the collaborative control of PM2.5 and O3 in urban areas in the Yellow River Delta in China.