Characteristics and Sources of Atmospheric Formaldehyde in a Coastal City in Southeast China

Atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major component of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and plays an important role in O3 formation and atmospheric oxidation capacity. In this study, seasonal observations of gaseous pollutants (HCHO, O3, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), CO, NOx, and VOCs) and ambient conditions (JHCHO, JNO2, solar radiation, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction) were conducted in a coastal city in southeast China. The average HCHO concentrations were 2.54 ppbv, 3.38 ppbv, 2.53 ppbv, and 1.98 ppbv in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Diurnal variations were high in the daytime and low in the nighttime, and the peak times varied in different seasons. The correlation between HCHO and O3 was not significant in spring and winter, which is likely related to the effects of photochemical reactions and diffusion conditions. The contributions of background (23.0%), primary (47.6%), and secondary (29.4%) sources to HCHO were quantified using multiple linear regression (MLR) models, revealing that secondary formation was the most significant contributor in summer, whereas primary emissions were predominant in spring. These findings help to improve the understanding of the influence of atmospheric formaldehyde on photochemical pollution control in coastal cities.