Profiling the PM<sub>2.5</sub> mass concentration vertical distribution in the boundary layer

Abstract. Fine particle (PM2.5) affects human life and activities directly; the detection of PM2.5 mass concentration profile is very essential due to its practical and scientific meanings (such as, quantifying of air quality and its variability, and improving air quality forecast and assessment). But so far, it is difficult to detect PM2.5 mass concentration profile. The proposed methodology to study the relationship between aerosol extinction coefficient and PM2.5 mass concentration is described, which indicates that the PM2.5 mass concentration profile could be retrieved by combining a charge-coupled device (CCD) side-scatter lidar and a PM2.5 sampling detector. When the relative humidity is less than 70 %, PM2.5 mass concentration is proportional to aerosol extinction coefficient, and then the specific coefficient can be calculated. Using this specific coefficient, aerosol extinction profile is converted to PM2.5 mass concentration profile. Three cases of clean night (on 21 September 2014), pollutant night (on 17 March 2014), and heavy pollutant night (on 13 February 2015) are studied. The characteristic of PM2.5 mass concentration profile in near-ground during these three nights' cases in the western suburb of Hefei city was discussed. The PM2.5 air pollutant concentration is comparatively large in close surface varying with time and altitude. The experiment results show that the CCD side-scatter lidar combined with a PM2.5 detector is an effective and new method to explore pollutant mass concentration profile in near-ground.