Characteristics and potential source areas of ozone pollution in Xinyang from 2015 to 2020

Based on the ozone hourly concentration data and global data assimilation system(GDAS) data in Xinyang from 2015 to 2020, the characteristics and the potential source areas in different seasons of ozone pollution were analyzed by using the potential source contribution factor (PSCF) method and the concentration weight trajectory (CWT) method.The average annual ozone concentration in Xinyang increased and then decreased from 2015 to 2020, and reached a peak value in 2018 (110.6 μg/m³), and the ozone exceedance rate peaked in 2019 (58.68%). The monthly variation of ozone concentration in Xinyang was “M” shaped, with peaks in May and September.The seasonal mean ozone concentration (125.2 μg/m³) was highest in spring. Overall, the cities of Wuhan and its surrounding areas have been identified as the significant contributors to ozone pollution in Xinyang city. The PSCF and CWT analysis of ozone concentrations in Xinyang exhibit the broadest distribution during spring. In contrast, both the weighted potential source contribution factor (WPSCF) and weighted concentration weight trace value (WCWT) reach their peak values in spring, while exhibiting narrower ranges and lower values in autumn and winter.