Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei　area　is　the　most　air　polluted　region　in　China　and　the　three　neighborhood　southern　Hebei　cities,　Shijiazhuang,　Xingtai,　and　Handan,　are　listed　in　the　top　ten　polluted　cities　with　severe　PM2.5　pollution.　The　objective　of　this　paper　is　to　evaluate　the　impacts　of　aerosol　direct　effects　on　air　quality　over　the　southern　Hebei　cities,　as　well　as　the　impacts　when　considering　those　effects　on　source　apportionment　using　three　dimensional　air　quality　models.　The　WRF/Chem　model　was　applied　over　the　East　Asia　and　northern　China　at　36　and　12　km　horizontal　grid　resolutions,　respectively,　for　the　period　of　January　2013,　with　two　sets　of　simulations　with　or　without　aerosol-meteorology　feedbacks.　The　source　contributions　of　power　plants,　industrial,　domestic,　transportation,　and　agriculture　are　evaluated　using　the　Brute-Force　Method　(BFM)　under　the　two　simulation　configurations.　Our　results　indicate　that,　although　the　increases　in　PM2.5　concentrations　due　to　those　effects　over　the　three　southern　Hebei　cities　are　only　3%-9%　on　monthly　average,　they　are　much　more　significant　under　high　PM2.5　loadings　(similar　to　50　mu　g.m(-3)　when　PM2.5　concentrations　are　higher　than　400　mu　g.m(-3)).　When　considering　the　aerosol　feedbacks,　the　contributions　of　industrial　and　domestic　sources　assessed　using　the　BFM　will　obviously　increase　(e.g.,　from　30%-34%　to　32%-37%　for　industrial),　especially　under　high　PM2.5　loadings　(e.g.,　from　36%-44%　to　43%-47%　for　domestic　when　PM2.5　＞　400　mu　g.m(-3)).　Our　results　imply　that　the　aerosol　direct　effects　should　not　be　ignored　during　severe　pollution　episodes,　especially　in　short-term　source　apportionment　using　the　BFM.　(C)　Higher　Education　Press　and　Springer-Verlag　GmbH　Germany,　part　of　Springer　Nature　2018.