Characteristics, sources, reactivity, and priority control of atmospheric VOCs in a national economic development zone in southern Jiangsu, China

This study examined the pollution characteristics, sources, and reactivity of VOCs in a national economic and technological development zone in southern Jiangsu, using hourly online observations from June 2023 to May 2024. The average TVOC concentration was 57.93 ± 45.98 μ g/m3, with alkanes and aromatics as the dominant components. VOCs exhibited distinct seasonal variations, peaking in winter and bottoming in summer, along with a multi-peak diurnal pattern. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) identified five major sources: industrial emissions (39.53%), solvent use (21.24%), oil and gas volatilization (20.76%), traffic emissions (16.20%), and combustion sources (2.27%). Potential source contribution function (PSCF) analysis revealed that local and short-range transport dominated in spring and summer, while long-range transport from northern and northwestern areas contributed more in autumn and winter. A comprehensive priority-control assessment, considering mass concentration, OFP, SOAFP, and toxicity, identified aromatic hydrocarbons as the top priority species, followed by certain alkanes and alkenes. These findings support refined VOC management and coordinated control of ozone and SOA in industrial development zones.