IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v20y2022i1p695-d1020540.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Understanding Anthropogenic PM 2.5 Concentrations and Their Drivers in China during 1998–2016

Author

Listed:
  • Guoliang Yun

    (College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)

  • Chen Yang

    (College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)

  • Shidong Ge

    (College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
    College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes, Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China)

Abstract

Air pollution poses serious challenges for human health and wellbeing. It also affects atmospheric visibility and contributes to climate change. As social and economic processes have increased, anthropogenic PM 2.5 pollution caused by intensive human activities has led to extremely severe air pollution. Spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations have received increasing attention from the scientific community. Nonetheless, spatiotemporal patterns and drivers of anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations are still inadequately understood. Based on a time series of remotely sensed anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations, this study analyzed the spatiotemporal patterns of this crucial pollutant in China from 1998 to 2016 using Sen’s slope estimator and the Mann–Kendall trend model. This, in combination with grey correlation analysis (GCA), was used to reveal the socioeconomic factors influencing anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations in eastern, central, and western China from 1998 to 2016. The results were as follows: (1) the average annual anthropogenic concentration of PM 2.5 in China increased quickly and reached its peak value in 2007, then remained stable in the following years; (2) only 63.30 to 55.09% of the land area reached the threshold value of 15 μg/m 3 from 1998 to 2016; (3) regarding the polarization phenomenon of anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations existing in eastern and central China, the proportion of gradient 1 (≤15 μg/m 3 ) gradually decreased and gradient 3 (≥35 μg/m 3 ) gradually increased; and (4) the urbanization level (UR), population density (PD), and proportion of secondary industry to gross domestic product (SI) were the dominant socioeconomic factors affecting the formation of anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations in eastern, central, and western China, independently. The improvements in energy consumption per gross domestic product (EI) have a greater potential for mitigating anthropogenic PM 2.5 emissions in central and western China. These findings allow an interpretation of the spatial distribution of anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations and the mechanisms influencing anthropogenic PM 2.5 concentrations, which can help the Chinese government develop effective abatement strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Guoliang Yun & Chen Yang & Shidong Ge, 2022. "Understanding Anthropogenic PM 2.5 Concentrations and Their Drivers in China during 1998–2016," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:695-:d:1020540
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/695/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/695/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Yin, Jianhua & Zheng, Mingzheng & Chen, Jian, 2015. "The effects of environmental regulation and technical progress on CO2 Kuznets curve: An evidence from China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 97-108.
    2. Yang, Xue & Wang, Shaojian & Zhang, Wenzhong & Li, Jiaming & Zou, Yafeng, 2016. "Impacts of energy consumption, energy structure, and treatment technology on SO2 emissions: A multi-scale LMDI decomposition analysis in China," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 714-726.
    3. Chen, Jing & Zhou, Chunshan & Wang, Shaojian & Li, Shijie, 2018. "Impacts of energy consumption structure, energy intensity, economic growth, urbanization on PM2.5 concentrations in countries globally," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C), pages 94-105.
    4. Wenju Cai & Ke Li & Hong Liao & Huijun Wang & Lixin Wu, 2017. "Weather conditions conducive to Beijing severe haze more frequent under climate change," Nature Climate Change, Nature, vol. 7(4), pages 257-262, April.
    5. Wu, Haitao & Hao, Yu & Weng, Jia-Hsi, 2019. "How does energy consumption affect China's urbanization? New evidence from dynamic threshold panel models," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 127(C), pages 24-38.
    6. Niu, Shuwen & Zhang, Xin & Zhao, Chunsheng & Niu, Yunzhu, 2012. "Variations in energy consumption and survival status between rural and urban households: A case study of the Western Loess Plateau, China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 515-527.
    7. Yao, Xin & Zhou, Hongchen & Zhang, Aizhen & Li, Aijun, 2015. "Regional energy efficiency, carbon emission performance and technology gaps in China: A meta-frontier non-radial directional distance function analysis," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 142-154.
    8. J. Lelieveld & J. S. Evans & M. Fnais & D. Giannadaki & A. Pozzer, 2015. "The contribution of outdoor air pollution sources to premature mortality on a global scale," Nature, Nature, vol. 525(7569), pages 367-371, September.
    9. Cheong, Tsun Se & Li, Victor Jing & Shi, Xunpeng, 2019. "Regional disparity and convergence of electricity consumption in China: A distribution dynamics approach," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Malayaranjan Sahoo & Narayan Sethi, 2022. "The dynamic impact of urbanization, structural transformation, and technological innovation on ecological footprint and PM2.5: evidence from newly industrialized countries," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(3), pages 4244-4277, March.
    2. Wang, Xiaomin & Tian, Guanghui & Yang, Dongyang & Zhang, Wenxin & Lu, Debin & Liu, Zhongmei, 2018. "Responses of PM2.5 pollution to urbanization in China," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 123(C), pages 602-610.
    3. Zha, Donglan & Yang, Guanglei & Wang, Qunwei, 2019. "Investigating the driving factors of regional CO2 emissions in China using the IDA-PDA-MMI method," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).
    4. Wang, Xue-Chao & Klemeš, Jiří Jaromír & Dong, Xiaobin & Fan, Weiguo & Xu, Zihan & Wang, Yutao & Varbanov, Petar Sabev, 2019. "Air pollution terrain nexus: A review considering energy generation and consumption," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 105(C), pages 71-85.
    5. Muxue Liang & Hong Liao & Yue Huang & Zifang Qiao & Chenchen Tan & Ruoxin Liu, 2021. "A Questionnaire Case Study of Opinions of Chinese Agricultural Workers on the Coordinated Control of Emissions of Ammonia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-18, February.
    6. Xue, Yan & Tang, Chang & Wu, Haitao & Liu, Jianmin & Hao, Yu, 2022. "The emerging driving force of energy consumption in China: Does digital economy development matter?," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    7. Kuang, Yunming & Lin, Boqiang, 2023. "Unwatched pollution reduction: The effect of natural gas utilization on air quality," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 273(C).
    8. Huanbi Yue & Chunyang He & Qingxu Huang & Da Zhang & Peijun Shi & Enayat A. Moallemi & Fangjin Xu & Yang Yang & Xin Qi & Qun Ma & Brett A. Bryan, 2024. "Substantially reducing global PM2.5-related deaths under SDG3.9 requires better air pollution control and healthcare," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-13, December.
    9. Yang, Siyuan & Fang, Delin & Chen, Bin, 2019. "Human health impact and economic effect for PM2.5 exposure in typical cities," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 249(C), pages 316-325.
    10. Ying Zhang & Song Xi Chen & Le Bao, 2023. "Air pollution estimation under air stagnation—A case study of Beijing," Environmetrics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 34(6), September.
    11. Mi Zhou & Yuanyu Xie & Chenggong Wang & Lu Shen & Denise L. Mauzerall, 2024. "Impacts of current and climate induced changes in atmospheric stagnation on Indian surface PM2.5 pollution," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-12, December.
    12. Xuechen Zhang & Huanfeng Shen & Tongwen Li & Liangpei Zhang, 2020. "The Effects of Fireworks Discharge on Atmospheric PM 2.5 Concentration in the Chinese Lunar New Year," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-19, December.
    13. Qianwen Cheng & Manchun Li & Feixue Li & Haoqing Tang, 2019. "Response of Global Air Pollutant Emissions to Climate Change and Its Potential Effects on Human Life Expectancy Loss," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(13), pages 1-17, July.
    14. Zhiyuan Wang & Xiaoyi Shi & Chunhua Pan & Sisi Wang, 2021. "Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Environmental Air Quality and Its Relationship with Seasonal Climatic Conditions in Eastern China during 2015–2018," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(9), pages 1-17, April.
    15. Wu, Haitao & Xia, Yufeng & Yang, Xiaodong & Hao, Yu & Ren, Siyu, 2021. "Does environmental pollution promote China's crime rate? A new perspective through government official corruption," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 292-307.
    16. Sun, Yunpeng & Bao, Qun & Siao-Yun, Wei & Islam, Misbah ul & Razzaq, Asif, 2022. "Renewable energy transition and environmental sustainability through economic complexity in BRICS countries: Fresh insights from novel Method of Moments Quantile regression," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 184(C), pages 1165-1176.
    17. Hao, Yu & Zhang, Zong-Yong & Yang, Chuxiao & Wu, Haitao, 2021. "Does structural labor change affect CO2 emissions? Theoretical and empirical evidence from China," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    18. Ruyin Long & Qin Zhang & Hong Chen & Meifen Wu & Qianwen Li, 2020. "Measurement of the Energy Intensity of Human Well-Being and Spatial Econometric Analysis of Its Influencing Factors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(1), pages 1-21, January.
    19. Niu, Shuwen & Liu, Yiyue & Ding, Yongxia & Qu, Wei, 2016. "China׳s energy systems transformation and emissions peak," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 782-795.
    20. Jun Yang & Yongmei Miao & Yunfan Li & Yiwen Li & Xiaoxue Ma & Shichun Xu & Shuxiao Wang, 2019. "Decomposition Analysis of Factors that Drive the Changes of Major Air Pollutant Emissions in China at a Multi-Regional Level," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-22, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:20:y:2022:i:1:p:695-:d:1020540. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.