Measurement report: Six-year DOAS observations reveal post-2020 rebound of ship SO2 emissions in a Shanghai port despite low-sulfur fuel policies

Abstract

The expansion of maritime trade has made ship emissions a significant target for SO2 reduction policies. However, there is still a lack of observational data to reflect the long-term changes in SO2 emission from ships. This study conducted continuous observational experiments using differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) from 2018 to 2023 in a shipping channel in Shanghai, China. By employing machine learning for gap filling and meteorological normalization, the trends of ambient SO2 related to ship emissions (Ship-related-SO2) over the 6-year period were revealed. Furthermore, whether ships in the channel were using low-sulfur fuels was determined by a decomposition of SO2-rich plume signals (which reflect high-emission ships) and baseline variations. The findings indicate that ship activities increased ambient SO2 concentrations in the channel by 0.48±0.25 ppbv (43.24 % of urban background levels). During the policy adjustment phase (2018 to 2020), Ship-related-SO2 levels declined steadily due to low-sulfur fuel regulations. Meanwhile, from 2021 to 2023 (the policy stabilization phase), increased ship activity became the dominant driver of rising Ship-related-SO2 levels. Despite policy effectiveness, excessive emissions from cargo ships persisted throughout the study period. This study quantified the contribution of ship emissions to ambient SO2 during 2018-2023 based on observations, evaluating the effectiveness of low-sulfur policies and supporting ongoing efforts to mitigate SO2 pollution from maritime activities. The methodology developed here can be adapted to other global shipping channels, providing a framework for monitoring and regulating ship emissions worldwide. Copyright: