Chemical Composition, Source and Formation Mechanism of Atmospheric Pollutants
A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 3
Special Issue Editors
Interests: fine particulate matter; brown carbon; secondary organic aerosol; carbonaceous aerosols
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: volatile organic compounds; observation-based model; community multiscale air quality; source apportionment
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The accurate measurement, in-depth chemical characterization, and precise source identification of atmospheric pollutants are fundamental to understanding air pollution mechanisms, formulating effective control strategies, and assessing environmental and health impacts. However, these core aspects continue to face significant challenges in global air quality research. The increasing complexity of emission sources—such as mixed industrial, traffic, agricultural, and secondary sources—combined with dynamic pollutant transformations, makes it difficult for conventional measurement techniques to capture the full spatiotemporal variability of pollutants. In addition, emerging pollutants such as oxygenated volatile organic compounds and halogenated compounds lack standardized characterization methods, while source apportionment approaches often fall short in complex regional environments—such as transboundary pollution and multi-pollutant interactions—undermining the accuracy of pollution control decisions.
This Special Issue invites high-quality contributions under the theme "Chemical Composition, Source and Formation Mechanism of Atmospheric Pollutants," aiming to foster academic exchange and technological innovation in this critical field. We welcome original research articles, reviews, and technical notes related to, but not limited to, the following topics:
- Development and validation of novel techniques for measuring atmospheric pollutants, including online/offline monitoring of gaseous pollutants and particulate matter, as well as multi-platform integrated observation systems.
- Chemical characterization of atmospheric pollutants, such as compositional analysis of PM2.5 (e.g., organic carbon/elemental carbon, water-soluble ions, heavy metals, and secondary organic aerosols), structural identification of key gaseous pollutants, and variations in chemical composition under diverse meteorological and emission conditions.
- Innovation and application of source identification methodologies, including the development and updating of dynamic regional emission inventories, optimization of source apportionment models, and quantitative assessment of contributions from various sources such as industrial emissions, vehicle exhaust, biomass burning, and secondary aerosol formation.
- Integrated studies combining measurement, chemical characterization, and source identification in specific scenarios—for example, investigations of pollution sources and chemical properties in industrial zones, cross-boundary transport pathways, or regions affected by seasonal emissions.
Dr. Xiao Li
Dr. Shijie Yu
Dr. Zhe Dong
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- particulate matter
- ozone
- secondary organic aerosols
- water-soluble ions
- volatile organic compounds
- oxygenated volatile organic compounds
- halogenated compounds
- chemical characterization
- source identification
- source apportionment
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