In this study, long-term continuous monitoring of atmospheric new particle formation was conducted from 2015 to 2017 in the Shanghai suburbs using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS). Combined with meteorological parameters, gaseous pollutants, and PM2.5 chemical composition data, the characterization of new particle formation was analyzed. The results of data analysis showed there were 172 new particle formation (NPF) days in the Shanghai suburbs, accounting for 18.3% of the total effective days (942 d). Typical new particle formation days (Event) and new particle growth-shrinkage (Shrinkage) days were 150 d and 32 d, respectively. The frequency of NPF occurrence was the highest in spring and summer, followed by autumn and winter. Compared with non-new particle formation (Non-NPF) days, Event and Shrinkage days had higher temperature and wind speed, lower humidity, less rainfall, and stronger solar radiation. The ratio of Event days was the highest when the prevailing wind was southerly, southwesterly, or westerly, and when the air masses were mainly from the vegetation cover and agricultural planting areas in the Taihu Lake Basin. The prevailing wind directions for Non-NPF and Shrinkage days were northeasterly and easterly to southeasterly. On the Event days, SO2 and O3 were higher than that on the Non-NPF days, indicating gaseous sulfuric acid and photochemical reactions were key contributors to new particle formation. Higher PM10 concentration was detected on the Event days than on the Non-NPF days, which may be attributed to the photocatalytic reaction. All the pollutant concentrations were the lowest on Shrinkage days, except that of O3. The average concentrations of inorganic components of PM2.5, such as NH4+, SO42-, and NO3- were higher on Event than on Non-NPF days in fall, whereas the opposite results were observed in other seasons. The average concentration of organic carbon on Event days was higher than that on Non-NPF days in each season. The concentrations of PM2.5 components on Shrinkage days were the lowest. However, the ratio of organic carbon on Shrinkage days was higher than that on Non-NPF days in spring, summer, and winter. The higher ratio of organic carbon on the NPF days than on the Non-NPF days suggested an important role of organic matter in the formation and growth of new particles in the suburbs of Shanghai.
Keywords: Shanghai suburb; chemical composition; meteorological element; new particle formation(NPF); shrinkage.