Spatial and temporal variations of six criteria air pollutants in 31 provincial capital cities in China during 2013–2014

Long-term air pollution data with high temporal and spatial resolutions are needed to support the research of physical and chemical processes that affect the air quality, and the corresponding health risks. However, such datasets were not available in China until recently. For the first time, this study examines the spatial and temporal variations of PM2.5, PM10, CO, SO2, NO2, and 8 h O3 in 31 capital cities in China between March 2013 and February 2014 using hourly data released by the Ministry of Environmental Protection (MEP) of China. The annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 and PM10 exceeded the Chinese Ambient Air Quality Standards (CAAQS), Grade I standards (15 and 40 μg/m(3) for PM2.5 and PM10,…

• NO
  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration