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Atmosphere
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Air Quality in China (4th Edition)
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Air Quality in China (4th Edition)

A special issue of Atmosphere (ISSN 2073-4433). This special issue belongs to the section "Air Quality".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 14058

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Xiao-San Luo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ecology and Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing 210044, China
Interests: environmental geochemistry and health; air pollution; atmospheric particulate matters; bioaerosols; emerging contaminants; nano-plastics; heavy metals; toxicology; risk assessments; climate change and health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Youwei Hong

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361024, China
Interests: atmospheric photochemical pollution; secondary organic aerosols (SOA); source apportionments of PM2.5 and O3
Dr. Honghui Xu

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Zhejiang Institute of Meteorological Sciences, 256 Guokang Road, Hangzhou 310050, China
Interests: atmospheric chemistry; air quality; greenhouse gases and tracers observation and data analysis; sources of carbon dioxide; haze and PM2.5 formation mechanism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue is a follow-up of the Special Issue, titled ‘Air Pollution in China (3rd Edition)’ published in Atmosphere in 2025 and will cover all aspects of Chinese atmospheric-pollution issues.

In China, serious air pollution, caused by human activities and partly natural factors, has been apparent since around the 1990s. It is worth mentioning that local air quality has greatly improved in the past decade, mainly due to progress in institutional and technical measures since the 2010s. However, the trajectory of air pollution in China is changing at present due to the compound event of photochemical and aerosol pollution, and air pollution control has thus entered a new phase.

This Special Issue, ‘Air Quality in China (4th Edition)’ invites submissions of innovative papers that will help with the development of the Chinese atmospheric environment and the implementation of effective air pollution control strategies in the future.

Prof. Dr. Xiao-San Luo
Dr. Youwei Hong
Dr. Honghui Xu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Atmosphere is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • air pollution and health in China
  • atmospheric fine particulate matters
  • aerosols
  • bioaerosols
  • micro/nano-plastics
  • ozone
  • emerging contaminants
  • toxicology and risk assessments
  • air pollution and climate change
  • air pollution observation in China
  • remote sensing of air pollution in China
  • numerical simulation of air pollution in China
  • air pollution prediction method in China
  • air quality management and pollution control in China

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2457 KB  
Article
High-Resolution PM2.5 and Ozone (O3) Estimates and the Impacts on Human Health and Crop Yields Across Sichuan Basin During 2015–2021
by Yubing Shen, Yumeng Shao, Lijia Zhang, Rui Li and Gehui Wang
Atmosphere 2026, 17(5), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17050432 - 22 Apr 2026
Viewed by 255
Abstract
Despite stringent national clean air policies, severe PM2.5 and ozone (O3) pollution persists in some parts of China, notably the Sichuan Basin—a key economic zone in the southwest. High-resolution assessment of the health and crop impacts of these pollutants remains [...] Read more.
Despite stringent national clean air policies, severe PM2.5 and ozone (O3) pollution persists in some parts of China, notably the Sichuan Basin—a key economic zone in the southwest. High-resolution assessment of the health and crop impacts of these pollutants remains limited in this region. In this study, we developed a multi-source data fusion framework based on a machine learning model to reconstruct daily PM2.5 and O3 concentrations at 1 km resolution during 2015–2021. The model integrates ground observations, meteorological data, chemical transport model outputs, and satellite retrievals. The model performed robustly, achieving R2 values of 0.91 for PM2.5 and 0.64 for O3. PM2.5 exhibited a decreasing tendency after 2017, while O3 showed interannual variability, with peaks in 2016 and 2018. Spatially, PM2.5 was more concentrated in urban centers, whereas O3 showed higher levels in western Sichuan and a banded pattern in the east. Seasonal patterns were also evident: PM2.5 increased in autumn and winter due to meteorological and emission factors, while O3 peaked in spring and summer, driven by photochemistry and high temperatures. Topography and emissions further shaped these distributions, with mountains in the west trapping O3 and urban clusters exacerbating PM2.5. Based on the reconstructed dataset, we further explored the potential impacts of pollutant exposure on human health and crop yields. The results provide a high-resolution dataset for understanding pollutant variability. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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15 pages, 2001 KB  
Article
Air Quality Index Prediction Based on Transformer Encoder–CNN–BiLSTM Model
by Zhuoran Sun, Qing Zhang and Guici Chen
Atmosphere 2026, 17(3), 249; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17030249 - 27 Feb 2026
Viewed by 498
Abstract
Accurate AQI forecasting is essential for public health and environmental management. However, existing network models for AQI forecasting still exhibit limited predictive accuracy, with insufficient consideration of key influencing factors in current research. Therefore, we present a hybrid model, Transformer Encoder–CNN–BiLSTM. The model [...] Read more.
Accurate AQI forecasting is essential for public health and environmental management. However, existing network models for AQI forecasting still exhibit limited predictive accuracy, with insufficient consideration of key influencing factors in current research. Therefore, we present a hybrid model, Transformer Encoder–CNN–BiLSTM. The model not only considers the influence of six major atmospheric pollutant factors (PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, SO2, O3), but also offers advantages in modeling long-range dependencies of time series, extracting local features and capturing periodicity and seasonal trends of AQI. Taking Shanghai, China as the research object, the R2, MAE and RMSE of the proposed model are 0.9781, 2.4266 and 4.0321 respectively, far superior to those of other comparison models. In the cross-city validation experiment, the AQI forecasting of Beijing, which has distinct climatic conditions from Shanghai while sharing the same national AQI standard and similar dominant pollutant structure, also demonstrates favorable performance with an R2 of 0.9712, and MAE and RMSE of 3.1275 and 6.6269 respectively. The results indicate that the model can effectively forecast the AQI of Chinese megacities with consistent AQI evaluation criteria. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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16 pages, 5300 KB  
Article
Assessing the Association Between Unfavorable Meteorological Conditions and Severe PM2.5 and Ozone Pollution
by Yiting Zhou, Wei Wang, Yuting Lu, Hui Zhang, Mengmeng Li and Tijian Wang
Atmosphere 2026, 17(2), 194; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos17020194 - 12 Feb 2026
Viewed by 764
Abstract
The increasing occurrence of unfavorable meteorological conditions under global warming has significantly impacted urban atmospheric environments, particularly ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in densely populated cities. Using nationwide air quality observations and reanalysis data from 2013 [...] Read more.
The increasing occurrence of unfavorable meteorological conditions under global warming has significantly impacted urban atmospheric environments, particularly ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution in densely populated cities. Using nationwide air quality observations and reanalysis data from 2013 to 2022, we assessed the variations in three typical unfavorable meteorological conditions—heatwave (HW), atmospheric stagnation (AS), and temperature inversion (TI)—in Eastern China and their influences on air pollution, as well as the large-scale synoptic drivers behind them. Results indicate that HW and AS events have increased substantially by 9.61 and 1.72 days/decade, leading to remarkable rises in O3 and PM2.5 concentrations. Compound events (e.g., HW + AS and HW + TI) exhibit even stronger synergistic impacts, raising O3 and PM2.5 concentrations by more than 57.34% and 46.76%, respectively, compared to individual events. In addition, by applying the T-mode Principal Component Analysis (T-PCA), this study identified typical synoptic patterns favorable for such conditions and air pollution events. Synoptic patterns such as the northward displacement of Western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) were identified as critical large-scale drivers. These findings highlight linkages between unfavorable meteorological conditions and air quality, providing scientific support for air-quality management and pollution control in Eastern China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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16 pages, 2314 KB  
Article
Air Quality and Air Pollutant Correlation in Xi’an, China: A Case Study of Differences Before, During, and After Lockdown Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Fuquan Liu, Xin Zhang and Tao Yu
Atmosphere 2025, 16(11), 1246; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16111246 - 30 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1173
Abstract
In order to effectively control the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), China has undertaken relatively strict blockade measures, which can effectively reduce population mobility and eliminate transmission pathways at the source. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the impact [...] Read more.
In order to effectively control the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), China has undertaken relatively strict blockade measures, which can effectively reduce population mobility and eliminate transmission pathways at the source. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the impact of urban blockades on the air quality before, during, and after COVID-19. This study uses data collected from monitoring stations in Xi’an, a typical city in northwestern China, from 2018 to 2023 to conduct an in-depth analysis of the changes in concentration of various pollutants in the atmosphere from a spatiotemporal perspective. The results showed that the average concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm (PM2.5), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 µm (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), and carbon monoxide (CO) decreased during the epidemic lockdown (2020–2022) by 18.7%, 15.4%, 29.4%, 20.9%, 0.03%, and 28.1%, respectively. After the implementation of urban lockdown (2023), the annual average concentrations of the five major pollutants other than O3 decreased, while the concentration of O3 increased. The monthly changes in concentration of PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, and NO2 were similar during 2018–2023, being “higher in winter and lower in summer”. The monthly average concentration of O3 changed in a “unimodal” manner. The concentrations of SO2, NO2, and PM10 decreased the most in January, by 46.4%, 33.5%, and 26.4%, respectively. The concentration of CO decreased the most in April, by 37.3%. PM2.5 decreased the most in May, with a decrease of 26.7%. O3 showed the largest increase in November, by 28.6%. After taking relevant measures, the concentrations of various pollutants and their correlations decreased. However, after resuming work, the concentrations of pollutants were still relatively high, and long-term management of air quality in Xi’an is still needed. These results provide a scientific basis for formulating more precise and effective air pollution control strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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18 pages, 17672 KB  
Article
Event-Based Tracking of Spatiotemporally Contiguous PM2.5 Pollution Events in China
by Zhihua Zhu, Rongjian Li, Yiming Chen, Zhenlin Zhang, Yiying Guo, Bo Xiong and Yanhui Zheng
Atmosphere 2025, 16(10), 1182; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101182 - 14 Oct 2025
Viewed by 1133
Abstract
PM2.5 pollution events evolve continuously through spatiotemporal diffusion. However, their three-dimensional spatiotemporal variation characteristics are often overlooked, and the interactions among key characteristics (e.g., duration, maximum concentration) have not yet been systematically analyzed. This study established a three-dimensional (longitude, latitude, and time) [...] Read more.
PM2.5 pollution events evolve continuously through spatiotemporal diffusion. However, their three-dimensional spatiotemporal variation characteristics are often overlooked, and the interactions among key characteristics (e.g., duration, maximum concentration) have not yet been systematically analyzed. This study established a three-dimensional (longitude, latitude, and time) spatiotemporal framework for identifying contiguous PM2.5 pollution events based on the high-resolution ChinaHighAirPollutants (CHAP) dataset (1 km spatial and 1-day temporal resolution). The framework applied the meteorological event tracking algorithm (i.e., the Forward-in-Time method) to track PM2.5 pollution events. Based on this framework, we systematically tracked and characterized the spatiotemporal evolution of PM2.5 events across China from 2013 to 2021, quantified the relationships among key event characteristics, and tracked their transport pathways. The results show that: (1) The combination of the FiT algorithm and CHAP dataset enables effective tracking and identification of the three-dimensional spatiotemporal evolution of PM2.5 pollution events across China. (2) Event PM2.5 totals, average totals per event and pollution events exhibit a distinct right-inclined “T”-shaped pattern, with hotspots located in Xinjiang, the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, Shandong, and Henan, where annual event frequency exceeds 15. (3) Event PM2.5 totals show strong correlations with average duration per event and average maximum concentration per event, particularly in heavily polluted areas where the Pearson correlation coefficient is close to 1. (4) PM2.5 pollution events are mainly characterized by short durations of 1 day or 2–3 days, accounting for over 80% of occurrences. Long-duration events are mostly concentrated in areas with severe pollution problems, and their persistence is closely linked to spatial coverage, terrain barrier effects, and meteorological conditions. (5) PM2.5 pollution events consistently exhibit a west-to-east transport pattern. Short-duration events propagate slower across the inland northwest, whereas long-duration events show a pronounced increase in meridional transport speeds along the eastern coastal areas. This study elucidates the continuous spatiotemporal evolution and intrinsic drivers of PM2.5 pollution events, offering scientific insights to support air quality improvement and the development of targeted management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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Graphical abstract

13 pages, 2217 KB  
Article
Characteristics and Sources of Atmospheric Formaldehyde in a Coastal City in Southeast China
by Yiling Lin, Qiaoling Chen, Youwei Hong, Yanting Chen, Liqian Yin, Jinfang Chen, Gongren Hu, Dan Liao and Ruilian Yu
Atmosphere 2025, 16(10), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101131 - 26 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1674
Abstract
Atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major component of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and plays an important role in O3 formation and atmospheric oxidation capacity. In this study, seasonal observations of gaseous pollutants (HCHO, O3, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), CO, NOx, [...] Read more.
Atmospheric formaldehyde (HCHO) is a major component of oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) and plays an important role in O3 formation and atmospheric oxidation capacity. In this study, seasonal observations of gaseous pollutants (HCHO, O3, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), CO, NOx, and VOCs) and ambient conditions (JHCHO, JNO2, solar radiation, temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, and wind direction) were conducted in a coastal city in southeast China. The average HCHO concentrations were 2.54 ppbv, 3.38 ppbv, 2.53 ppbv, and 1.98 ppbv in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Diurnal variations were high in the daytime and low in the nighttime, and the peak times varied in different seasons. The correlation between HCHO and O3 was not significant in spring and winter, which is likely related to the effects of photochemical reactions and diffusion conditions. The contributions of background (23.0%), primary (47.6%), and secondary (29.4%) sources to HCHO were quantified using multiple linear regression (MLR) models, revealing that secondary formation was the most significant contributor in summer, whereas primary emissions were predominant in spring. These findings help to improve the understanding of the influence of atmospheric formaldehyde on photochemical pollution control in coastal cities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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19 pages, 4701 KB  
Article
Temporal Dynamics and Source Apportionment of PM2.5 in a Coastal City of Southeastern China: Insights from Multiyear Analysis
by Liliang Chen, Jing Wang, Qiyuan Wang, Youwei Hong, Xinhua Wang, Wen Yang, Bin Han, Mazhan Zhuang and Zhipeng Bai
Atmosphere 2025, 16(10), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16101119 - 24 Sep 2025
Viewed by 1461
Abstract
Xiamen, a rapidly developing coastal metropolis and tourist hub in southeastern China, faces air quality challenges due to its dense population and tourism reliance. This study investigates PM2.5 sources and temporal variations during autumn 2013–2017 via chemical characterization, mass reconstruction, and receptor [...] Read more.
Xiamen, a rapidly developing coastal metropolis and tourist hub in southeastern China, faces air quality challenges due to its dense population and tourism reliance. This study investigates PM2.5 sources and temporal variations during autumn 2013–2017 via chemical characterization, mass reconstruction, and receptor modeling. The Positive Matrix Factorization (PMF) model identified five sources: secondary sulfate (31%), coal/vehicle emissions (28%), industrial emissions with secondary organic aerosols (SOA, 20%), ship emissions (14%), and fugitive dust (7%). Interannual variations in source contributions highlighted impacts of anthropogenic activities, meteorology, power plant upgrades, and stricter vehicle standards. PM2.5 declined 19% (2013–2017), driven by emission controls, while SOA surged 42% (2015–2017) due to VOC oxidation and lower temperatures. Backward trajectory and Potential Source Contribution Function (PSCF) analyses revealed significant regional transport from northern industrial zones (32% contribution) and maritime activities. Ship emissions, which have remained relatively stable over the years, underscore the need for stricter marine regulations. Fugitive dust peaked in 2015 (25.8% of PM2.5), linked to urban construction. The findings emphasize the interplay of local emissions and regional transport in shaping PM2.5 pollution, providing a scientific basis for targeted control strategies in coastal cities with similar socioeconomic and geographic contexts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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17 pages, 10829 KB  
Article
Vertical Profiling of PM1 and PM2.5 Dynamics: UAV-Based Observations in Seasonal Urban Atmosphere
by Zhen Zhao, Yuting Pang, Bing Qi, Chi Zhang, Ming Yang and Xuezhu Ye
Atmosphere 2025, 16(8), 968; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16080968 - 15 Aug 2025
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4492
Abstract
Urban particulate matter (PM) pollution critically impacts public health and climate. However, traditional ground-based monitoring fails to resolve vertical PM distribution, limiting understanding of transport and stratification-coupled mechanisms. Vertical profiles collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Hangzhou, a core megacity in [...] Read more.
Urban particulate matter (PM) pollution critically impacts public health and climate. However, traditional ground-based monitoring fails to resolve vertical PM distribution, limiting understanding of transport and stratification-coupled mechanisms. Vertical profiles collected by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) over Hangzhou, a core megacity in China’s Yangtze River Delta, reveal the spatiotemporal heterogeneity and multi-scale drivers of regional PM pollution during two intensive ten-day campaigns capturing peak pollution scenarios (winter: 17–26 January 2019; summer: 21–30 August 2019). Results show stark seasonal differences: winter PM1 and PM2.5 averages were 2.6- and 2.7-fold higher (p < 0.0001) than summer. Diurnal patterns were bimodal in winter and unimodal (single valley) in summer. Vertically consistent PM1 and PM2.5 distributions featured sharp morning (08:00) concentration increases within specific layers (winter: 250–325 m; summer: 350–425 m). Analysis demonstrates multi-scale coupling of synoptic systems, boundary layer processes, and vertical wind structure governing pollution. Key mechanisms include a winter “Transport-Accumulation-Reactivation” cycle driven by cold air, and summer typhoon circulation influences. We identify hygroscopic growth triggered by inversion-high humidity coupling and sea-breeze-driven secondary aerosol formation. Leveraging UAV-based vertical profiling over Hangzhou, this study pioneers a three-dimensional dissection of layer-coupled PM dynamics in the Yangtze River Delta, offering a scalable paradigm for aerial–ground networks to achieve precision stratified control strategies in megacities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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23 pages, 1622 KB  
Article
The Beneficial Spatial Spillover Effects of China’s Carbon Emissions Trading System on Air Quality
by Diwei Zheng and Daxin Dong
Atmosphere 2025, 16(7), 819; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos16070819 - 5 Jul 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1563
Abstract
Between 2013 and 2020, China had implemented a pilot cap-and-trade carbon emissions trading system (ETS) in some cities. Previous research has reported that this policy significantly reduces air pollution in the policy-implementing districts. However, whether and to what extent there are spatial spillover [...] Read more.
Between 2013 and 2020, China had implemented a pilot cap-and-trade carbon emissions trading system (ETS) in some cities. Previous research has reported that this policy significantly reduces air pollution in the policy-implementing districts. However, whether and to what extent there are spatial spillover effects of this policy on air pollution in other regions has not been sufficiently analyzed. The research objective of this study is to quantitatively assess the spatial spillover effects of China’s carbon ETS on air pollution. Based on data from 288 Chinese cities between 2005 and 2020, this study employs a multiple linear regression approach to estimate the policy effects. Our study finds that the policy significantly reduces the concentrations of black carbon (BC), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), organic carbon (OC), particulate matter less than 1 micron in size (PM1), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and particulate matter less than 10 microns in size (PM10) in non-ETS regions. This indicates that the carbon ETS has beneficial impacts on air quality beyond the areas where the policy was implemented. The heterogeneity tests reveal that the beneficial spatial spillover effects of the ETS can be observed across cities with different levels of industrialization, population density, economic development, resource endowments, and geographical locations. Further mechanism analyses show that although the policy does not affect the degree of environmental regulation in other regions, it promotes green innovation, low-carbon energy transition, and industrial structure upgrading there, which explains the observed spatial spillover effects. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Air Quality in China (4th Edition))
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