Elevated formation of particulate nitrate from N 2 O 5 hydrolysis in the Yangtze River Delta region from 2011 to 2019

Aerosol nitrate has become the most abundant compound during aerosol pollution in eastern China. The Chinese government implemented a stringent policy during 2013–2017 to tackle aerosol pollution. However, the response of nitrate to NOx reduction is unclear owing to the limitation of long-term measurement. Here, we performed a 9-year continuous measurement of aerosol compositions in Shanghai and confirmed a decrease in most species except nitrate. The contribution of nitrate to PM2.5 increased significantly, reaching up to 35% in pollution episodes after 2017. This is in contrast to the evident reduction in NOx emissions. We found that the elevated N2O5 hydrolysis is responsible for the observed nitrate trend. Increased ozone and decreased NO facilitated the formation of N2O5, and increased nitrate proportion promoted the uptake of N2O5 and eventually enhanced the conversion efficiency of NO2 to nitrate. Our results highlight the importance of synergic control of aerosol and ozone pollution.