GAW Report No. 205 - IGAC Project

CHAPTER 3 - ASIAatmosphere, which is favourable for the formation of fine particles, results in the decrease ofvisibility and the transformation of S(IV) to S(VI) causing the occurrence of acid rain [Tang et al.,2006]. Consequently, high ozone levels during the summer have been one of the complex problemsfor the further improvement of the air quality in Shanghai.Air pollution control countermeasuresShanghai municipal government (SMG) has carried out many air pollution control measuresthrough three 3-year action plans to improve the air pollution of the city since 2000. Theimplementation of the first 3-year action plan included several measures that were carried outsuccessively, such as promoting cleaner fuels, shutting down the Yangshupu coal/gas factory,extending the scope of applying natural gas, the use of low sulphur coal, conducting an integratedenvironmental pollution control policies for industrial parks, closing or suspending the factories withlarge influence to the air quality.After the implementation of the second 3-year action plan, according to the nationalenvironmental protection requirements and the necessity of the city environmental protection work,Shanghai municipal government implemented the desulfurization project for all coal fired powerplants and closed or stopped small coal fired units with a total capability of 695 MW from 2006 to2008. All these measures largely decreased the emissions of SO 2 and PM 10 . In addition, during thisperiod, the prevention and control of industrial pollution and the comprehensive improvement of themajor industrial parks was announced and carried out and the pollutants emission from Jinshanpetroleum industry and Gaoqiao petroleum industry were checked.Measures were also implemented to deal with vehicle emissions. Shanghai adopted thevehicular emission standards equivalent to Euro-II and Euro-III in 2003 and 2006, and the oneequivalent to Euro-IV on November 1, 2009 [Huang et al., 2008]. Additionally, in order to reduce theemission from in-use vehicles, “Limits for exhaust pollutants from in-use vehicle equipped ignitionengine in short transient loaded mode (DB31/357-2006)” and “Limits for exhaust smoke from in-usevehicle equipped with compression ignition engine under lug-down test (DG31/379-2007)” wereimplemented. Those vehicles that could not meet the emission standards equivalent to Euro I wereforbidden to drive in the city center during the daytime, and this area was expanded in August of2009. These control measures for vehicles are favourable for the improvement of the air quality inthe Shanghai urban area.Besides the control measures mentioned above, Shanghai municipal government launcheda project for environment comprehensive improvement and landscaping of the city for the EXPO2010, which led to a large drop in the level of particles. Shanghai environmental protection agencyorganized a project “The control measures for the air pollution during the period of EXPO 2010”.This project focused on local air pollution controls. Meanwhile the large pollution sources of theYangtze River Delta were also asked to reduce their emissions selectively [Chen et al., 2007a],aimed at improving the air quality during the period of EXPO 2010.Climatic change issuesThe increase in temperature in China was similar to the global average of 0.74˚C over thepast 100 years (China's National Assessment Report on Climate Change, 2007; IPCC 2007).According to the study by Li et al. [2008], the CO 2 emission from energy transformation accountedfor 43%, and was followed by industry at 29% and transportation at 18% [Chen et al., 2004, 2007b;Dolf and Chen, 2001; Wang et al., 2001]. Suggestions on the bio-energy research, such asincreasing biomass resources, improving biomass processing techniques, and energy transferefficiency, are recommended, in order to reduce the CO 2 emissions in Shanghai.SummaryThe air quality in Shanghai is gradually improving. The annual average concentrations ofprimary pollutants are near the NAAQS at grade II over the past years. The good and excellent rateof the API was larger than 85% continuously for the past six years. However, the secondarypollution caused by the photochemical transformation of the primary pollutants is increasing and notconsidered in the API. The high level of ozone in the summer time, the decrease of the visibility, and122