Abstract: This study established a method to identify the source of ambient VOCs in residential areas to address the environmental NIMBY problem in an economic development zone in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.We carried out general survey and emission test on key polluting enterprises frequently complained in the industrial zone,and created a database of pollution source emission characteristics (fingerprints) and used pollution characteristics correlation analysis to track back the likely sources.A case study based on a field census and VOC emission on source-receptor sites was conducted to validate the method.We employed SPIMS (online VOC mass spectrometer) to obtain the speciate characteristics of VOC emissions from local industrial sources and VOCs fingerprint database.Through off-line sampling of sensitive points and navigation monitoring,the matching characteristic data spectrum was established.Combined with the correlation analysis of pollution characteristics,the corresponding pollution source emission characteristic (fingerprint) database and the rapid identification model of pollution sources were constructed.Six important enterprises with high potential VOC emissions were identified in the case study,including two plastic product enterprises,one spice manufacturing enterprise,and three electronic product manufacturing enterprises.By comparing on-site observed VOC species detected inside the enterprises to VOCs species from ambient air samples in residential areas,the key enterprises that had an impact on the residential area were identified as mainly methane,n-butane,isopentane,acetone,butanone,ethyl acetate,m-and p-xylene.The case study showed that the strategy could provide solid scientific and technological support for daily industrial source control and fast response to pollution concerns.