Atmospheric Emission Estimations and Spatiotemporal Distributions of Halogens in Fine Particulate Matter Released From Multiple Industrial Sectors

Abstract Halogens play important roles in atmospheric chemistry and climate change. However, emission data for particulate halogens from industrial sources remain incomplete, which hinders advances in atmospheric chemistry modeling. In this study, we analyzed the atmospheric emissions of halogens in fine particulate matter samples collected from 112 full‐scale industrial plants across 13 sectors. The results show that municipal solid‐waste incineration exhibited the highest concentrations of total particulate halogen and particulate chlorine (pCl). Iron‐ore sintering showed the highest concentrations of particulate fluorine (pF) and particulate bromine (pBr). Using the emission factor method, we identified cement kilns co‐processing solid waste and iron‐ore sintering as the most significant emission sources, with annual emissions of p(F + Cl + Br) reaching 32,785 and 6,155 t, respectively. Eastern China had significantly higher emissions of p(F + Cl + Br) than other regions. Furthermore, emissions across provinces were generally higher during the cold season than in warmer seasons. This pattern underscores the need for enhanced emission reduction and control measures targeting these major sources and critical periods.