A localized plant species-specific BVOC emission rate library of China established using a developed statistical approach based on field measurements

Abstract

Precise quantification of biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions is essential for effective control of ozone and secondary organic aerosol pollution. However, the lack of a localized and detailed plant species–specific emission rate library poses significant challenges to accurate emission estimates in China. Additionally, large uncertainty exists in the representative emission rates used in inventory compilation. Here, a statistical approach for classifying emission intensity and assigning representative emission rates with higher accuracy was developed from our measurements and local field observations. Furthermore, a localized plant species–specific BVOC emission rate library for China covering 599 plant species was established. Critically, different reliability levels were assigned to each emission rate according to the measurement technique. Emission simulations were conducted to evaluate the implications of the developed library. Comparison with formaldehyde vertical column density observations showed that our localized library improved the model performance in capturing the spatial variations of isoprene emissions. The newly estimated BVOC emissions were 27.70 Tg, 18 % higher than estimates based on the global library. Updating the localized emission rates reduced underestimation in southern and overestimation in northeast and western China.