The Influencing Factors on the Pollution Levels of PM-bound Plasticizers in Megacity

The correlations among PM-bound plasticizers in Guangzhou were revealed. The influencing factors, including meteorological conditions and socioeconomic factors, were addressed to understand their influence on the plasticizer concentrations in the air. The correlations of plasticizers in PM2.5 largely depend on their similar applications and the coexistence in industrial products. The influence of meteorological factors is mostly dependent on the physicochemical properties of the plasticizers. The increasing solar radiation and temperature can promote the enrichment of plasticizers in PM2.5, while the relative humidity can increase the atmospheric scavenging for the chemicals with high water solubilty. Wind can significantly reduce the pollution of plasticizers in the air, but the rain has a limited effect on the scavenging of most PM-bound plasticizers. Socio-economic factors can also influence to some extent the concentration of plasticizers in the atmosphere in the urban areas of Guangzhou.The concentrations of primary plasticizers in PM2.5 depend on the gross domestic product of the secondary industry sector, suggesting the industrial actities may be the important source of these pollutants. In addition, the tertiary industry also showed potential influence on some of the plasticizers.