A new NMVOCs emission inventory for China: Impact on O3 and PM2.5 regional simulations and assessment of recent industrial NMVOCs emission abatement policies

With the increasing ozone (O₃) pollution and slowing down trend of fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) reduction in China in recent years, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as common precursors are playing a more important role, with stronger demand to clarify their emissions, verify their simulations and evaluate their regional influences. This study aims to introduce a comprehensive anthropogenic non-methane VOCs (NMVOCs) emission inventory in China in 2019, comprehensively assess the impact on NMVOCs, O₃ and PM_2.5 simulations, and investigate the effect of recent VOCs-related industrial policies and technologies at a regional scale using the Community Earth System Model version 2 (CESM2). The results show that Jiangsu, Shandong, Zhejiang and Guangdong provinces account for the largest anthropogenic emissions (44 % collectively), and solvent utilization and industrial processes are two dominated sectors of NMVOCs emission sources (>70 % collectively). The hydrocarbon simulations are closer to observations with updated emission inventories. The implementation of NMVOCs emission reduction technologies can effectively reduce most components of NMVOCs in China by over 12 %, and is beneficial to the coordinated control of PM_2.5 (9 % reduction nationally) and O₃ pollutions (2 % reduction nationally) in most regions of China as well as co-benefits for neighboring countries and regions (1 %∼10 % pollutant reductions). This study suggested that the future VOCs control in China needs to focus more on aromatics and alkenes in the Yangtze River Delta and parts of the North China Plain.