Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Spatial and temporal characteristics of air quality and air pollutants in 2013 in Beijing

  • Research Article
  • Published:
Environmental Science and Pollution Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Air pollution has become an ever more critical issue in Beijing in more recent years. In this study, we use the air quality index (AQI), corresponding primary pollutant types and meteorological data which are collected at 16 monitoring stations in Beijing between January 2013 and December, 2013 studying the spatial and temporal variations of air quality and air pollutants. The results show that PM2.5 was the most serious pollutant, followed by O3. The average PM2.5 mass concentration was 119.5 ± 13.8 μg m−3 in Beijing. In addition, the air quality varies across different seasons. More specifically, winter season showed the worst air quality. Moreover, while particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) concentrations were relatively higher in the spring and winter seasons, gaseous pollutants (O3 and NO2) were more serious in the summer and autumn. In terms of spatial heterogeneity, the findings showed that AQI and PM2.5 concentrations were higher in south and lower in the north of the city, and the O3 showed exactly a pattern with the opposite direction—higher in the north and lower in the south. NO2 was found to have a greater impact on the central region compared with that in other regions. Furthermore, PM2.5 was found to be positively correlated with the relative humidity, but negatively correlated with wind speed and atmospheric pressure (P < 0.01). However, the dominant meteorological factors that influence the PM2.5 concentrations varied in different seasons. The results in this paper provide additional information for the effective control of the air pollution in Beijing.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anav A, Menut L, Khvorostyanov D, Viovy N (2011) Impact of tropospheric ozone on the Euro-Mediterranean vegetation. Global Change Biology 17:2342–2359

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Beckett KP, Freer-Smith PH, Taylor G (2000) Particulate pollution capture by urban trees: effect of species and windspeed. Global Change Biology 6:995–1003

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chan CK, Yao X (2008) Air pollution in mega cities in China. Atmospheric Environment 42:1–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Che HZ, Zhang XY, Li Y, Zhou ZJ, Qu JJ, Hao XJ (2009) Haze trends over the capital cities of 31 provinces in China, 1981–2005. Theoretical and Applied Climatology l97:23–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen W, Tang HZ, Zhao HM (2015) Diurnal, weekly and monthly spatial variation of air pollutants and air quality of Beijing. Atmospheric Environment 119:21–34

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Choi YS, Ho CH, Chen D, Noh YH, Song CK (2008) Spectral analysis of weekly variation in PM10 mass concentration and meteorological conditions over China. Atmospheric Environment 42:655–666

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ganguly ND, Tzanis C (2011) Study of stratosphere-troposphere exchange events of ozone in India and Greece using ozonesonde ascents. Meteorological Applications 18:467–474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao JJ, Tian HZ, Cheng K, Lu L, Zheng M, Wang SX, Hao JM, Wang K et al (2015) The variation of chemical characteristics of PM2.5 and PM10 and formation causes during two haze pollution events in urban Beijing, China. Atmospheric Environment 107:1–8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grundström M, Hak C, Chen D, Hallquist M, Pleijel H (2015) Variation and co-variation of PM10, particle number concentration, NOx and NO2 in the urban air-Relationships with wind speed, vertical temperature gradient and weather type. Atmospheric Environment 120:317–327

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guan TJ, Yao MS, Wang JX, Fang YH, Hu SH, Wang Y, Dutta A, Yang JN, Wu YS, Hu M, Zhu T (2014) Airborne endotoxin in fine particulate matter in Beijing. Atmospheric Environment 97:35–42

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • He KB, Yang FM, Ma YL, Zhang Q, Yao XH, Chan CK, Candle S, Chan T, Mulawa P (2001) The characteristics of PM2.5 in Beijing, China. Atmospheric Environment 35:4959–4970

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hu MG, Jia L, Wang JF, Pan YP (2013) Spatial and temporal characteristics of particulate matter in Beijing, China using the Empirical Mode Decomposition method. Science of the Total Environment 458–460:70–80

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Irga PJ, Burchett MD, Torpy FR (2015) Does urban forestry have a quantitative effect on ambient air quality in an urban environment? Atmospheric Environment 120:173–181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Isaaks EH, Srivastava RM (1989) Applied geostatistics. Oxford University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Janhäll S (2015) Review on urban vegetation and particle air pollution-deposition and dispersion. Atmospheric Environment 105:130–137

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Leiva MA, Santibanez DA, Ibarra S, Matus P, Seguel R (2013) A five-year study of particulate matter (PM2.5) and cerebrovascular diseases. Environmental Pollution 181:1–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lin W, Xu X, Zhang X, Tang J (2008) Contributions of pollutants from North China Plain to surface ozone at the Shangdianzi GAW Station. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 8:5889–5898

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Liu HZ, Jiang YJ, Liang B, Zhu FR, Zhang BY, Sang JG (2005) Studies on wind environment around high buildings in urban areas. Science China Earth Sciences (China) 48:102–115

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y, He KB, Li SS, Wang ZX, Christiani DC, Koutrakis P (2012) A statistical model to evaluate the effectiveness of PM2.5 emissions control during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. Environment International 44:100–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lorenzini G, Pellegrini E, Campanella A, Nali C (2014) It’s not just the heat and the drought: the role of ozone air pollution in the 2012 heat wave. Agrochimica LVIII:40–52

    Google Scholar 

  • MEP, In: Protection, M.O.E. (Ed.) (2012) Technical regulation on ambient air quality index (On Trial). MEP, Beijing, China

  • Nishanth T, Praseed KM, Satheesh Kumar MK, Valsaraj KT (2014) Influence of ozone precursors and PM10 on the variation of surface O3 over Kannur, India. Atmospheric Research 138:112–124

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nowak DJ, Hirabayashi S, Allison B, Hoehn R (2013) Modeled PM2.5 removal by trees in ten US cities and associated health effects. Environmental Pollution 178:395–402

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pascal M, Falq G, Wagner V, Chatignoux E, Corso M, Blanchard M, Host S, Pascal L, Larrieu S (2014) Short-term impacts of particulate matter (PM10, p M10–2.5, PM2.5) on mortality in nine French cities. Atmospheric Environment 95:175–184

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce JL, Beringer J, Niocholls N, Hyndman RJ, Taspper NJ (2011) Quantifying the influence of local meteorology on air quality using generalized additive models. Atmospheric Environment 45:1328–1336

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pellegrini E, Campanella A, Lorenzini G, Nali C (2014) Biomonitoring of ozone: a tool to initiate the young people into the scientific method and environmental issues. A case study in Central Italy. Urban Forestry & Urban Greening 13:800–805

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiao Z, Tian GJ, Xiao L (2013) Diurnal and seasonal impacts of urbanization on the urban thermal environment: a case study of Beijing using MODIS data. ISPRS Journal Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing 85:93–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quan JN, Tie XX, Zhang Q, Liu Q, Li X, Gao Y, Zhao DL (2014) Characteristics of heavy aerosol pollution during the 2012–2013 winter in Beijing, China. Atmospheric Environment 88:83–89

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ryerson TB, Trainer M, Holloway JS, Parrish DD, Huey LG, Sueper DT, Frost GJ, Donnelly SG et al (2001) Observations of ozone formation in power plant plumes and implications for ozone control strategies. Science 292:719–723

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shankardass K, Jerrett M, Dell SD, Foty R, Stieb D (2015) Spatial analysis of exposure to traffic-related air pollution at birth and childhood atopic asthma in Toronto, Ontario. Health & Place 34:287–295

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi MN, Wu HC, Zhang SH, Li HY, Yang TS, Liu W, Liu H (2014) Weekly cycle of magnetic characteristics of the daily PM2.5 and PM2.5–10 in Beijing, China. Atmospheric Environment 98:357–367

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sikder HA, Nasiruddin M, Suthawaree J, Kato S, Kajii Y (2013) Long term observation of surface O3 and its precursors in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Atmospheric Research 122:378–390

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Song YS, Maher BA, Li F, Wang XK, Sun X, Zhang HX (2015) Particulate matter deposited on leaf of five evergreen species in Beijing, China: source identification and size distribution. Atmospheric Environment 105:53–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun Y, Wang L, Wang Y, Quan L, Zirui L (2011) In situ measurements of SO2, NOx, NOy, and O3 in Beijing, China during August 2008. Science of the Total Environment 409:933–940

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sun ZQ, Mu YJ, Liu YJ, Shao LY (2013) A comparison study on airborne particles during haze days and non-haze days in Beijing. Science of the Total Environment 456–457:1–8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takegawa N, Miyakawa T, Kuwata M, Kondo Y, Zhao Y, Han S, Kita K, Miyazaki Y et al (2009) Variability of submicron aerosol observed at a rural site in Beijing in the summer of 2006. Journal of Geophysical Research 114:1–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tallis M, Taylor G, Sinnett D, Freer-Smith P (2011) Estimating the removal of atmospheric particulate pollution by the urban tree canopy of London, under current and future environments. Landscape and Urban Planning 103:129–138

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang G, Wang Y, Li X, Ji D, Hsu S, Gao X (2012) Spatial-temporal variations in surface ozone in Northern China as observed during 2009–2010 and possible implications for future air quality control strategies. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 12:2757–2776

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tian GJ, Qiao Z, Xu XL (2014) Characteristics of particulate matter (PM10) and its relationship with meteorological factors during 2001–2012 in Beijing. Environmental Pollution 192:266–274

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Unal YS, Toros H, Deniz A, Incecik S (2011) Influence of meteorological factors and emission sources on spatial and temporal variations of PM10 concentrations in Istanbul metropolitan area. Atmospheric Environment 45:5504–5513

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Vieno M, Dore AJ, Stevenson DS, Doherty R, Heal MR, Reis S et al (2010) Modelling surface ozone during the 2003 heat-wave in the UK. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 10:7963–7978

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang S, Hao J (2012) Air quality management in China: issues, challenges, and options. Journal of Environmental Sciences 24:2–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang ZS, Li YT, Chen T, Zhang DW, Sun F, Wei Q, Dong X, Sun RW, Huan N, Pan LB (2015) Ground-level ozone in urban Beijing over a 1-year period: temporal variations and relationship to atmospheric oxidation. Atmospheric Research 164–165:110–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu Y, Wang R, Zhou Y, Lin B, Fu L, He K, Hao J (2011) On-road vehicle emission control in Beijing: past, present, and future. Environmental Science & Technology 45:147–153

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xie SD, Yu T, Zhang Y-H, Zeng LM, Qi L, Tang XY (2005) Characteristics of PM10, SO2, NOx and O3 in ambient air during the dust storm period in Beijing. Science of the Total Environment 345:153–164

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu X, Lin W, Wang T, Yan P, Tang J, Meng Z, Wang Y (2008) Long-term trend of surface ozone at a regional background station in eastern China 1991–2006: enhanced variability. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics 8:2595–2607

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu J, Ma JZ, Zhang XL, Xu XB, Xu XF, Liu WL, Wang L, Meng W, Ma ZQ (2011) Measurements of ozone and its precursors in Beijing during summertime: impact of urban plumes on ozone pollution in downwind rural areas. Atomspheric Chemistry and Physics 11(23):12241–12252

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu P, Chen YF, Ye XJ (2013) Haze, air pollution, and health in China. Lancet 382:2067

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yang YR, Liu XG, Qu Y, Wang JL, An JL, Zhang YHJ, Zhang F (2015) Formation mechanism of continuous extreme haze episodes in the megacity Beijing, China, in January 2013. Atmospheric Research 155:192–203

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ye C, Chen RS, Chen MX (2016) The impacts of Chinese Nian culture on air pollution. Journal of Cleaner Production 112:1740–1745

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Wang T, Lv MY, Zhang Q (2015a) On the severe haze in Beijing during January 2013: unraveling the effects of meteorological anomalies with WRF-Chem. Atmospheric Environment 104:11–21

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZY, Zhang XL, Gong DY, QuanWJ ZXJ, Ma ZQ, Kim SJ (2015b) Evolution of surface O3 and PM2.5 concentrations and their relationships with meteorological conditions over the last decade in Beijing. Atmospheric Environment 108:67–75

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation Committee of China (NSFC) (no. 31100303). The authors gratefully acknowledge Beijing Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau (BJ–MEPB) for the provision of the data of air quality index (AQI) and corresponding primary pollutant used in this publication. The authors thank the website (http://rp5.ru/Weather archive in Beijing, Peking) for the provision of the data of meteorological datasets. The authors also thank the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestion.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Landscape Architecture, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Shujun Yan & Ying Chen

  2. College of Tourism, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Hui Cao

  3. College of Forestry, Fujian Agricultural and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China

    Chengzhen Wu, Tao Hong & Hailan Fan

  4. College of Ecology and Resource Engineering, Wuyi University, Wuyishan, 354300, China

    Chengzhen Wu

Authors
  1. Shujun Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hui Cao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Chengzhen Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Tao Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Hailan Fan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hui Cao.

Additional information

Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Yan, S., Cao, H., Chen, Y. et al. Spatial and temporal characteristics of air quality and air pollutants in 2013 in Beijing. Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 13996–14007 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6518-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6518-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation