Current Status, Characteristics and Causes of Particulate Air Pollution in the Fenwei Plain, China: A Review

Particulate air pollution is one of the most important environmental issues confronting China, especially in northern cities during winter. The Fenwei Plain has been designated as one of the three key regions for air pollution control, replacing the Pearl River Delta (PRD) region in 2018. On average, the annual mass concentrations of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, and NO₂ in the Fenwei Plain were the highest of the three key regions, which also include the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region (the “2 + 26” region) and the Yangtze River Delta (YRD). In terms of major air pollutants, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, SO₂, and NO₂ at 11 typical cities in the Fenwei Plain exceeded the second level of Chinese National Ambient Air Quality Standards, most often in winter. Here, the characteristics of airborne particulate matter in the Fenwei Plain are presented, and source apportionments for PM_2.5 and PM_2.5 as associated chemical species are reviewed. The causes of severe particulate matter air pollution during wintertime in this region are summarized, and several recommendations for improving local air quality are presented based on previous studies and an assessment of recent air pollution trends in the Fenwei Plain.