Changes of air pollutants and simulation of a heavy pollution process during COVID-19 in Shenyang

During COVID-19, Shenyang implemented strict household isolation measures, resulting in a sharp reduction in anthropogenic emission sources, providing an opportunity to explore the impact of human activities on air pollution. The period from January to April of 2020 was divided into normal period, blockade period and resumption period. Combined with meteorological and pollutant data, mathematical statistics and spatial analysis methods were used to compare with the same period of 2015–2019. The results showed that PM(2.5), PM(10), NO(2) and O(3) increased by 32.6%, 13.2%, 4.65% and 22.7% in the normal period, among which the western area changed significantly. During the blockade period, the concentration of pollutants decreased by 35.79%, 35.87%, 32.45% and -4.84%, of which the central area changed significantly. During the resumption period, the concentration of pollutants increased by 21.8%, 8.7%, 5.7% and -6.3%, and the area with the largest change was located in the western. During the blockade period, a heavy pollution occurred with PM(2.5) as the main pollutant. The WRF-Chem model and the HYSPLIT model were used to reproduce the pollution occurrence process. The result showed that winds circulated as zonal winds during the pollution process at high altitudes. These winds were controlled by straight westerly and weak northwesterly airflows in front of the high pressure, and the ground was located behind the warm low pressure. Weather conditions were relatively stable. Thus, high temperatures (average > 10 ℃), high humidity (40%-60%) and slow wind (2 m/s) conditions prevailed for a long time in the Shenyang area. The unfavorable meteorological conditions lead to the occurrence of pollution. The backward trajectory showed that the potential source areas were concentrated in the urban agglomeration around Shenyang, and sporadic contributions came from North Korea.