Assessment of urban air quality in China using air pollution indices (APIs)

Abstract

This study gathered and processed the available air quality daily reports in 86 cities throughout China in 2001–2011. Urban air quality was assessed in terms of the evolution of the key pollutants, the pollution level, and the PM₁₀ (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <10 μm) concentrations. The authors conclude that PM₁₀ is the most important pollutant in Chinese cities, especially after the national sulfur dioxide (SO₂) controls during the 11th Five Year Plan (FYP; 2006–2010). A notable advance was the reduction of extremely heavily polluted days with air pollution index (API) above 150 from 7% in 2001 to 1% in 2011 in the all-city average. In addition, the average API-derived PM₁₀ concentrations continually decreased during the past 11 yr. Additionally, the pollution pattern of “more severe from south to north” in China became less obvious due to the decline of PM₁₀ concentrations in the northern cities and the more obvious regional characteristics of air pollution. Nevertheless, more pollutants should be included in the API system to fully reflect the air quality status and guide future air pollution controls in Chinese cities.

Implications:

Air quality daily report, the only publicly accessible observation database in the past decade, provides valuable insight into the air quality in Chinese cities. Using this data set, this paper assesses the status and change of urban air quality in China in 2001–2011, during which great effort was made to mitigate urban air pollution. It is valuable for the further refinement of national air quality control strategies, and the needs of updating the present daily report system are implicated.

Acknowledgment

This study was sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (no. 41105105) and the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei Province (no. D2011402019).