The impact of synoptic patterns on summertime ozone pollution in the North China Plain

Examining the relationship between atmospheric pollutants and meteorological factors in Asansol city, West Bengal, India, using statistical modelling

Meteorological conditions significantly impact ambient air quality in urban environments. This study focuses on Asansol, known as the "Coal City" and the "Industrial Heart of West Bengal," a notable hotspot for air pollution. Despite its significance, limited research has addressed the influence of meteorological factors on key air pollutants in this urban area. From January 2019 to December 2023, this investigation explores the relationships between meteorological parameters (including atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, wind speed) and the concentrations of crucial air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2). Temporal trends in air pollutant concentrations are also analysed. The Spearman correlation method is used to establish associations between pollutant concentrations and meteorological variables, while multiple linear regression (MLR) models are employed to assess meteorological factors and potential impact on pollutant concentrations. The analysis reveals a decreasing trend in pollutant concentrations in Asansol. Temperature exhibits negative correlations with all pollutants in all seasons except for a positive correlation during the monsoon. Rainfall consistently displays significant negative correlations with pollutants in all seasons. Relative humidity is negatively correlated with pollutants in all seasons, and wind speed, except during the post-monsoon season, shows negative correlations with all pollutants. Linear models excel in predicting particulate matter concentrations but perform poorly in predicting gaseous contaminants. Accounting for seasonal fluctuations and meteorological parameters, this research enhances the accuracy of air pollution forecasting, contributing to a better understanding of air quality dynamics in Asansol and similar urban areas.

Long-term variations in surface ozone at the Longfengshan Regional Atmosphere Background Station in Northeast China and related influencing factors

Surface ozone (O3) is a crucial air pollutant that affects air quality, human health, agricultural production, and climate change. Studies on long-term O3 variations and their influencing factors are essential for understanding O3 pollution and its impact. Here, we conducted an analysis of long-term variations in O3 during 2006-2022 at the Longfengshan Regional Atmosphere Background Station (LFS; 44.44°N, 127.36°E, 330.5 m a.s.l.) situated on the northeastern edge of the Northeast China Plains. The maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) O3 fluctuated substantially, with the annual MDA8 decreasing significantly during 2006-2015 (-0.62 ppb yr-1, p < 0.05), jumping during 2015-2016 and increasing clearly during 2020-2022. Step multiple linear regression models for MDA8 were obtained using meteorological variables, to decompose anthropogenic and meteorological contributions to O3 variations. Anthropogenic activities acted as the primary drivers of the long-term trends of MDA8 O3, contributing 73% of annual MDA8 O3 variability, whereas meteorology played less important roles (27%). Elevated O3 at LFS were primarily associated with airflows originating from the North China Plain, Northeast China Plain, and coastal areas of North China, primarily occurring during the warm months (May-October). Based on satellite products of NO2 and HCHO columns, the O3 photochemical regimes over LFS revealed NOx-limited throughout the period. NO2 increased first, reaching peak in 2011, followed by substantial decrease; while HCHO exhibited significant increase, contributing to decreasing trend in MDA8 O3 during 2006-2015. The plateauing NO2 and decreasing HCHO may contribute to the increase in MDA8 O3 in 2016. Subsequently, both NO2 and HCHO exhibited notable fluctuations, leading to significant changes in O3. The study results fill the gap in the understanding of long-term O3 trends in high-latitude areas in the Northeast China Plain and offer valuable insights for assessing the impact of O3 on crop yields, forest productivity, and climate change.

Meteorological influence on persistent O3 pollution events in Wuxi in the Yangtze River Delta, China

The number of O3 pollution days indicates an overall increasing trend over 2014-2021 in Wuxi in the Yangtze River Delta, with the pollution concentrations of MDA8-O3 between 186 and 200 μg·m-3. Specifically, a total of 62 POPEs (persistent O3 pollution events), defined as episodes with 3 or more continuous O3 pollution days, were observed for the 8 years. Using a multi-linear regression model, we find that the meteorology can explain approximately 56.5 % of the O3 variations for the 8 years in Wuxi, with temperature being the most crucial meteorological factor, followed by relative humidity (RH) and wind speeds. High temperature, low RH, low wind speeds and downward airflows significantly correlate with POPE-O3 changes. Three types of synoptic circulations are further identified during the POPEs from 2014 to 2021 by the T-mode (T-PCA) classification method. The primary circulation patterns governing the interannual changes of POPEs are characterized by the largest positive anomalies of temperature and planetary boundary layer (PBL) height; moreover, a distinct vertical mixing process is observed with uplifting airflows in the convective PBL during the afternoon and sinking airflows in the stable PBL at night, which is incredibly conducive to the downward transport of O3 after its upward delivery during daytime and substantially contributes to midnight O3 at the surface. The other two circulation types are associated with uniform descending flows in the PBL; as a result, surface O3 accumulates only near the ground and decreases significantly at night due to the titration effect. This study systematically highlights the influence of critical meteorological factors regulated by different synoptic circulations on the POPE in Wuxi, which provides a scientific basis for pollution control and prediction.

Sensitivities of ozone to its precursors during heavy ozone pollution events in the Yangtze River Delta using the adjoint method

Although the concentrations of five basic ambient air pollutants in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) have been reduced since the implementation of the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan" in 2013, the ozone concentrations still increase. In order to explore the causes of ozone pollution in YRD, we use the GEOS-Chem and its adjoint model to study the sensitivities of ozone to its precursor emissions from different source regions and emission sectors during heavy ozone pollution events under typical circulation patterns. The Multi-resolution Emission Inventory for China (MEIC) of Tsinghua University and 0.25° × 0.3125° nested grids are adopted in the model. By using the T-mode principal component analysis (T-PCA), the circulation patterns of heavy ozone pollution days (observed MDA8 O3 concentrations ≥160 μg m-3) in Nanjing located in the center area of YRD from 2013 to 2019 are divided into four types, with the main features of Siberian Low, Lake Balkhash High, Northeast China Low, Yellow Sea High, and southeast wind at the surface. The adjoint results show that the contributions of emissions emitted from Jiangsu and Zhejiang are the largest to heavy ozone pollution in Nanjing. The 10 % reduction of anthropogenic NOx and NMVOCs emissions in Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai could reduce the ozone concentrations in Nanjing by up to 3.40 μg m-3 and 0.96 μg m-3, respectively. However, the reduction of local NMVOCs emissions has little effect on ozone concentrations in Nanjing, and the reduction of local NOx emissions would even increase ozone pollution. For different emissions sectors, industry emissions account for 31 %-74 % of ozone pollution in Nanjing, followed by transportation emissions (18 %-49 %). This study could provide the scientific basis for forecasting ozone pollution events and formulating accurate strategies of emission reduction.

Large-scale land-sea interactions extend ozone pollution duration in coastal cities along northern China

Land-sea atmosphere interaction (LSAI) is one of the important processes affecting ozone (O3) pollution in coastal areas. The effects of small-scale LSAIs like sea-land breezes have been widely studied. However, it is not fully clear how and to what extent the large-scale LSAIs affect O3 pollution. Here we explored an O3 episode to illuminate the role of large-scale LSAIs in O3 pollution over the Bohai-Yellow Seas and adjacent areas through observations and model simulations. The results show that the northern Bohai Sea's coastal region, influenced by the Mongolian High, initially experienced a typical unimodal diurnal O3 variation for three days, when O3 precursors from Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shandong, and Northeast China were transported to the Bohai-Yellow Seas. Photochemical reactions generated O3 within marine air masses, causing higher O3 levels over the seas than coastal regions. As the Mongolian High shifted eastward and expanded, southerly winds on its western edge transported O3-rich marine air masses toward the coast, prolonging pollution for an additional three days and weakening diurnal variations. Subsequently, emissions from the Korean Peninsula and marine shipping significantly affected O3 levels in the northern Bohai Sea (10.7% and 13.7%, respectively). Notably, Shandong's emissions played a substantial role in both phases (27.5% and 26.1%, respectively). These findings underscore the substantial impact of large-scale LSAIs driven by the Mongolian High on O3 formation and pollution duration in coastal cities. This insight helps understand and manage O3 pollution in northern Bohai Sea cities and broadly applies to temperate coastal cities worldwide.

Meteorological impacts on the unexpected ozone pollution in coastal cities of China during the unprecedented hot summer of 2022

Surface ozone pollution under climate warming has become a serious environmental issue. In the summer of 2022, abnormal warming spread over most of the Northern Hemisphere and resulted in the abnormal increase in O3 concentrations. In this study, we focused on the coastal cities in China and investigated the O3 trends in July during 2015 to 2022. Four regions with different locations and emission levels were selected for comparison. A significant increase of O3 concentration in July 2022 were observed in the southern coastal cities (16.7-22.8 μg m-3) while the opposite characteristics were found in the northern coastal cities (decrease of 0.26-2.18 μg m-3). The results indicated various distribution patterns of the O3 concentrations responded to heat wave across China. The weakening of East Asian summer monsoon, extension of the western Pacific subtropical high, significant warming, stronger solar radiation, lower relative humidity, less rainfall and sinking motion of atmosphere in 2022 were beneficial for O3 generation and accumulation in the southern coastal areas. Meteorological changes in July 2022 could lead to an increase of 15.6 % in O3 concentrations in southern coastal cities compared to that in 2015-2021, based on the analysis of machine learning. Air temperature was the main contributor to high O3 concentrations in the coast of Fujian province, while other coastal cities depended on relative humidity. This study indicated the challenge of O3 pollution control in coastal areas under global warming, especially in extreme heat wave events.

Air quality and characterization of synoptic circulation weather patterns in a South American city from Argentina

The potential cause-effect relationship between synoptic meteorological conditions and levels of criteria air pollutants, including CO, NO2, O3, PM10, PM2.5 and SO2, in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, was assessed for the period of 2018-2019. Daily back-trajectories and global meteorological data fields were employed to characterize the primary transport paths of air masses reaching the study site, and to identify the synoptic meteorological patterns responsible for these atmospheric circulations. Time series of surface-level meteorological parameters and midday mixing layer height were collected to examine the impact of the synoptic meteorological patterns on local meteorology. Furthermore, the NAAPS global aerosol model was utilized to identify days when contributions from long-range transport processes, such as dust and/or biomass burning smoke, impacted air quality. By applying this methodology, it was determined that the air masses coming from the N, NW and W regions significantly contributed to increased mean concentrations of coarse particles in this area through long-range transport events involving dust and smoke. Indeed, the high average levels of PM10 recorded in 2018-2019 (annual mean values of 47 and 52 μg/m3, respectively) represent the main air quality concern in Bahía Blanca. Moreover, PM10, PM2.5 and NO2 emissions should be reduced in order to meet recommended air quality guidelines. On the other hand, the results from this study suggest that the sources and meteorological processes leading to the increase in the concentrations of CO and SO2 have a local-regional origin, although these air pollutants did not reach high values probably as a consequence of the strong wind speed registered in this region during any synoptic meteorological pattern.

Impact of spatial scales of control measures on the effectiveness of ozone pollution mitigation in eastern China

Ozone (O3) pollution is becoming the primary air pollution issue with the large decrease in fine particulate concentrations in eastern China. The development of widely recognized policies for controlling O3 pollution episodes is urgent. This study aims to provide actionable and comprehensive suggestions for O3 control policy development, with an emphasis on the precursor emission reductions. Here, we compared the impacts of different spatial scale reductions on a widespread O3 pollution episode in eastern China by a state-of-the-art regional air quality model. We find that region-scale joint control (in >30 cities) is much more effective than city-scale sporadic reduction in reducing O3 concentration. Sporadic controls only reduce the maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) O3 by ∼1 μg/m3 in the controlled city, whereas regional controls lead to a MDA8 O3 decrease of ∼8 μg/m3 in the controlled region. In addition, the emission reduction effectiveness increased by 2.6 times from <5 cities to >30 cities. Continuous reductions have a cumulative effect on the decrease of MDA8 O3, showing the strongest effects within 24 h and diminishing after 48 h, which underscores the importance of reducing emissions 24 h prior to an episode. Moreover, the effect of control measures on MDA8 O3 varies spatially depending on the ratio of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to nitrogen oxides (NOx) (VOCs/NOx). Both the reductions of VOC and NOx emissions have a positive effect on the decrease of MDA8 O3 in summer, but the effects of VOC reductions are 1.2 to 1.7 times higher than those of NOx reductions. The residential sector, due to its high VOCs/NOx emission ratio, exhibits the highest efficiency in the reduction of O3 concentrations. Our results highlight the importance of regional joint control and synergistic reduction of VOCs and NOx in eastern China.

Elucidating the mechanisms of rapid O3 increase in North China Plain during COVID-19 lockdown period

Ozone (O3) levels in North China Plain (NCP) suffered from rapid increases during the COVID-19 period. Many previous studies have confirmed more rapid NOx reduction compared with VOCs might be responsible for the O3 increase during this period, while the comprehensive impacts of each VOC species and NOx on ambient O3 and their interactions with meteorology were not revealed clearly. To clarify the detailed reasons for the O3 increase, a continuous campaign was performed in a typical industrial city of NCP. Meanwhile, the machine-learning technique and the box model were employed to reveal the mechanisms of O3 increase from the perspective of meteorology and photochemical process, respectively. The result suggested that the ambient O3 level in Tangshan increased from 18.7 ± 4.63 to 45.6 ± 8.52 μg/m3 (143%) during COVID-19 lockdown, and the emission reduction and meteorology contributed to 54 % and 46 % of this increment, respectively. The lower wind speed (WS) coupled with regional transport played a significant role on O3 increase (30.8 kg/s). The O3 sensitivity verified that O3 production was highly volatile organic compounds (VOC)-sensitive (Relative incremental reactivity (RIR): 0.75), while the NOx showed the negative impact on O3 production in Tangshan (RIR: -0.59). It suggested that the control of VOCs rather than NOx might be more effective in reducing O3 level in Tangshan because it was located on the VOC-limited regime. Besides, both of ozone formation potential (OFP) analysis and observation-based model (OBM) demonstrated that the alkenes (36.3 ppb) and anthropogenic oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) (15.2 ppb) showed the higher OFP compared with other species, and their reactions released a large number of HO2 and RO2 radicals. Moreover, the concentrations of these species did not experience marked decreases during COVID-19 lockdown, which were major contributors to O3 increase during this period. This study also underlined the necessity of priority controlling alkenes and OVOCs across the NCP.

Meteorological influences on co-occurrence of O3 and PM2.5 pollution and implication for emission reductions in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei

Co-occurrence of surface ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution (CP) was frequently observed in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH). More than 50% of CP days occurred during April-May in BTH, and the CP days reached up to 11 in two months of 2018. The PM2.5 or O3 concentration associated with CP was lower than but close to that in O3 and PM2.5 pollution, indicating compound harms during CP days with double-high concentrations of PM2.5 and O3. CP days were significantly facilitated by joint effects of the Rossby wave train that consisted of two centers associated with the Scandinavia pattern and one center over North China as well as a hot, wet, and stagnant environmental condition in BTH. After 2018, the number of CP days decreased sharply while the meteorological conditions did not change significantly. Therefore, changes in meteorological conditions did not really contribute to the decline of CP days in 2019 and 2020. This implies that the reduction of PM2.5 emission has resulted in a reduction of CP days (about 11 days in 2019 and 2020). The differences in atmospheric conditions revealed here were helpful to forecast the types of air pollution on a daily to weekly time scale. The reduction in PM2.5 emission was the main driving factor behind the absence of CP days in 2020, but the control of surface O3 must be stricter and deeper.

Electronic Supplementary Material

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s11430-022-1070-y.

Impacts of synoptic circulation on surface ozone pollution in a coastal eco-city in Southeastern China during 2014-2019

The coastal eco-city of Fuzhou in Southeastern China has experienced severe ozone (O₃) episodes at times in recent years. In this study, three typical synoptic circulations types (CTs) that influenced more than 80% of O₃ polluted days in Fuzhou during 2014-2019 were identified using a subjective approach. The characteristics of meteorological conditions linked to photochemical formation and transport of O₃ under the three CTs were summarized. Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions was applied to simulate O₃ episodes and to quantify O₃ sources from different regions in Fuzhou. When Fuzhou was located to the west of a high-pressure system (classified as "East-ridge"), more warm southwesterly currents flowed to Fuzhou, and the effects of cross-regional transport from Guangdong province and high local production promoted the occurrence of O₃ episodes. Under a uniform pressure field with a low-pressure system occurring to the east of Fuzhou (defined as "East-low"), stagnant weather conditions caused the strongest local production of O₃ in the atmospheric boundary layer. Controlled by high-pressure systems over the mainland (categorized as "Inland-high"), northerly airflows enhanced the contribution of cross-regional transport to O₃ in Fuzhou. The abnormal increases of the "East-ridge" and "Inland-high" were closely related to O₃ pollution in Fuzhou in April and May 2018, resulting in the annual maximum number of O₃ polluted days during recent years. Furthermore, the rising number of autumn O₃ episodes in 2017-2019 was mainly related to the "Inland-high", indicating the aggravation of cross-regional transport and highlighting the necessity of enhanced regional collaboration and efforts in combating O₃ pollution.

Impacts of meteorology and precursor emission change on O3 variation in Tianjin, China from 2015 to 2021

Deterioration of surface ozone (O₃) pollution in Northern China over the past few years received much attention. For many cities, it is still under debate whether the trend of surface O₃ variation is driven by meteorology or the change in precursors emissions. In this work, a time series decomposition method (Seasonal-Trend decomposition procedure based on Loess (STL)) and random forest (RF) algorithm were utilized to quantify the meteorological impacts on the recorded O₃ trend and identify the key meteorological factors affecting O₃ pollution in Tianjin, the biggest coastal port city in Northern China. After "removing" the meteorological fluctuations from the observed O₃ time series, we found that variation of O₃ in Tianjin was largely driven by the changes in precursors emissions. The meteorology was unfavorable for O₃ pollution in period of 2015-2016, and turned out to be favorable during 2017-2021. Specifically, meteorology contributed 9.3 µg/m³ O₃ (13%) in 2019, together with the increase in precursors emissions, making 2019 to be the worst year of O₃ pollution since 2015. Since then, the favorable effects of meteorology on O₃ pollution tended to be weaker. Temperature was the most important factor affecting O₃ level, followed by air humidity in O₃ pollution season. In the midday of summer days, O₃ pollution frequently exceeded the standard level (>160 µg/m³) at a combined condition with relative humidity in 40%-50% and temperature > 31°C. Both the temperature and the dryness of the atmosphere need to be subtly considered for summer O₃ forecasting.

Estimation of near-surface ozone concentration and analysis of main weather situation in China based on machine learning model and Himawari-8 TOAR data

Ozone (O₃) is an important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere. Stratospheric ozone protects human beings, but high near-surface ozone concentrations threaten environment and human health. Owing to the uneven distribution of ground-monitoring stations and the low time resolution of polar orbiting satellites, it is difficult to accurately evaluate the refinement and synergistic pollution of near-surface ozone in China. Besides, atmospheric circulation patterns also affect ozone concentrations greatly. In this study, a new generation of geostationary satellite is used to estimate the hourly near-surface ozone concentration with a spatial resolution of 0.05°. First, the Pearson correlation coefficient and maximum information coefficient were used to study the correlation between the top of atmospheric radiation (TOAR) of Himawari-8 satellite and O₃ concentration; seven TOAR channels were selected. Second, based on an interpretable deep learning model, the hourly ozone concentration in China from September 2015 to August 2021 was obtained using the TOAR-O₃ model. Finally, the self-organizing map method was used to determine six major summer weather circulation patterns in China. The results showed that (1) the near-surface O₃ concentration can be accurately estimated; the R² (RMSE: μg/m³) values of the daily, monthly, and annual tenfold cross validation results were 0.91 (12.74), 0.97 (5.64), and 0.98 (1.75), respectively. The feature importance of the model showed that the temperature, TOAR, and boundary layer height contributed 38 %, 22 %, and 13 %, respectively. (2) The O₃ concentration showed obvious spatiotemporal difference and gradually increased from 10:00 to 15:00 (Beijing time) every day. In most areas of China, O₃ concentration had increased significantly. (3) The O₃ concentration in northern China was the highest under the circulation pattern of the Meiyu front over the Yangtze River Delta, while in southern China, it was the highest under the circulation pattern of the northeast cold vortex controlling most of China.

First long-term surface ozone variations at an agricultural site in the North China Plain: Evolution under changing meteorology and emissions

Significant upward trends in surface ozone (O₃) have been widely reported in China during recent years, especially during warm seasons in the North China Plain (NCP), exerting adverse environmental effects on human health and agriculture. Quantifying long-term O₃ variations and their attributions helps to understand the causes of regional O₃ pollution and to formulate according control strategy. In this study, we present long-term trends of O₃ in the warm seasons (April-September) during 2006-2019 at an agricultural site in the NCP and investigate the relative contributions of meteorological and anthropogenic factors. Overall, the maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) O₃ exhibited a weak decreasing trend with large interannual variability. < 6 % of the observed trend could be explained by changes in meteorological conditions, while the remaining 94 % was attributed to anthropogenic impacts. However, the interannual variability of warm season MDA8 O₃ was driven by both meteorology (36 ± 28 %) and anthropogenic factors (64 ± 27 %). Daily maximum temperature was the most essential factor affecting O₃ variations, followed by ultraviolet radiation b (UVB) and boundary layer height (BLH), with rising temperature trends inducing O₃ inclines throughout April to August, while UVB mainly influenced O₃ during summer months. Under changes in emissions and air quality, warm season O₃ production regime gradually shifted from dominantly VOCs-limited during 2006-2015 to NO_x-limited afterwards. Relatively steady HCHO and remarkably rising NO_x levels resulted in the fast decreasing MDA8 O₃ (-2.87 ppb yr^-1) during 2006-2012. Rapidly decreasing NO_x, flat or slightly increasing HCHO promoted O₃ increases during 2012-2015 (9.76 ppb yr^-1). While afterwards, slow increases in HCHO and downwards fluctuating NO_x led to decreases in MDA8 O₃ (-4.97 ppb yr^-1). Additionally, continuous warming trends might promote natural emissions of O₃ precursors and magnify their impacts on agricultural O₃ by inducing high variability, which would require even more anthropogenic reduction to compensate for.

Modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient ozone exposure before and during pregnancy with adverse birth outcomes: A multicity study in China

BACKGROUND

Epidemiological studies suggest that both ambient ozone (O₃) and temperature were associated with increased risks of adverse birth outcomes. However, very few studies explored their interaction effects, especially for small for gestational age (SGA) and large for gestational age (LGA).

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient O₃ exposure before and during pregnancy with preterm birth (PTB), low birth weight (LBW), SGA and LGA based on multicity birth cohorts.

METHODS

A total of 56,905 singleton pregnant women from three birth cohorts conducted in Tianjin, Beijing and Maoming, China, were included in the study. Maximum daily 8-h average O₃ concentrations of each pregnant woman from the preconception period to delivery for every day were estimated by matching their home addresses with the Tracking Air Pollution in China (TAP) datasets. We first applied the Cox proportional-hazards regression model to evaluate the city-specific effects of O₃ exposure before and during pregnancy on adverse birth outcomes at different temperature levels with adjustment for potential confounders, and then a meta-analysis across three birth cohorts was conducted to calculate the pooled associations.

RESULTS

In pooled analysis, significant modification effects of ambient temperature on associations of ambient O₃ with PTB, LBW and LGA were observed (P_interaction < 0.05). For a 10 μg/m³ increase in ambient O₃ exposure at high temperature level (> 75^th percentile), the risk of LBW increased by 28 % (HR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.13-1.46) during the second trimester and the risk of LGA increased by 116% (HR: 2.16, 95%CI: 1.16-4.00) during the entire pregnancy, while the null or weaker association was observed at corresponding low (≤ 25^th percentile) and medium (> 25^th and ≤ 75^th percentile) temperature levels.

CONCLUSION

This multicity study added new evidence that ambient high temperature may enhance the potential effects of ambient O₃ on adverse birth outcomes.

Multi-scale analysis of the impacts of meteorology and emissions on PM2.5 and O3 trends at various regions in China from 2013 to 2020 3. Mechanism assessment of O3 trends by a model

A multiscale analysis of meteorological trends was carried out to investigate the impacts of the large-scale circulation types as well as the local-scale key weather elements on the complex air pollutants, i.e., PM_2.5 and O₃ in China. Following accompanying papers on synoptic circulation impact and key weather elements and emission contributions (Gong et al., 2022a; Gong et al., 2022b), an emission-driven Observation-based Box Model (e-OBM) was developed to study the impact mechanisms on O₃ trend and quantitatively assess the effects of variation in the emissions control over 2013-2020 for Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou and Shanghai. Compared with the original OBM, the e-OBM not only improves the performance to simulate the hourly O₃ peak concentration in daytime, but also reasonably reproduces the maximum daily 8-hour average (MDA8) O₃ concentrations in the four cities. Based upon the sensitivity experiments, it is found that the meteorology is the dominant driver for the MDA8 O₃ trend, contributing from about 32 % to 139 % to the variations. From the mechanistic point of view, the variations of meteorology lead to the enhancement of atmospheric oxidation capacity and the acceleration of O₃ production. Further evaluation to the emission changes in four cities shows that the O₃-precursors relationships of the four cities have been changed from the VOC-limited regime in 2013 to the transition regime or near-transition regime in 2020. Though the NO_x/VOCs ratios have been obviously decreased, the emission reductions up to 2020 were still not enough to mitigate O₃ pollution in these cities. It is emphasized in this study that the strengthened control measures with maintaining a certain ratio of NO_x and VOCs should be implemented to further curb the increasing trend of O₃ in urban areas.

Surface ozone pollution in China: Trends, exposure risks, and drivers

Introduction

Within the context of the yearly improvement of particulate matter (PM) pollution in Chinese cities, Surface ozone (O₃) concentrations are increasing instead of decreasing and are becoming the second most important air pollutant after PM. Long-term exposure to high concentrations of O₃ can have adverse effects on human health. In-depth investigation of the spatiotemporal patterns, exposure risks, and drivers of O₃ is relevant for assessing the future health burden of O₃ pollution and implementing air pollution control policies in China.

Methods

Based on high-resolution O₃ concentration reanalysis data, we investigated the spatial and temporal patterns, population exposure risks, and dominant drivers of O₃ pollution in China from 2013 to 2018 utilizing trend analysis methods, spatial clustering models, exposure-response functions, and multi-scale geographically weighted regression models (MGWR).

Results

The results show that the annual average O₃ concentration in China increased significantly at a rate of 1.84 μg/m³/year from 2013 to 2018 (160 μg/m³) in China increased from 1.2% in 2013 to 28.9% in 2018, and over 20,000 people suffered premature death from respiratory diseases attributed to O₃ exposure each year. Thus, the sustained increase in O₃ concentrations in China is an important factor contributing to the increasing threat to human health. Furthermore, the results of spatial regression models indicate that population, the share of secondary industry in GDP, NOx emissions, temperature, average wind speed, and relative humidity are important determinants of O₃ concentration variation and significant spatial differences are observed.

Discussion

The spatial differences of drivers result in the spatial heterogeneity of O₃ concentration and exposure risks in China. Therefore, the O₃ control policies adapted to various regions should be formulated in the future O₃ regulation process in China.

Which aerosol type dominate the impact of aerosols on ozone via changing photolysis rates?

The impact of aerosols on ozone via influencing photolysis rates is a combined effect of absorbing aerosols (AA) and scattering aerosols (SA). However, AA and SA show different optical properties and influence photolysis rates differently, which then cause different impacts on ozone. Till now, the dominate factor is disconfirmed, which is largely due to the impact of SA on ozone not reaching to a consistent conclusion. In this study, the WRF-Chem model was implemented to simulate the air pollutants over the North China Plain (NCP). The impacts of AA and SA on ozone via influencing photolysis rates were quantitatively isolated and analyzed. Our results also demonstrated the decreasing effect of AA on ozone within planet boundary layer (PBL) which is consistent with the conclusions of previous studies. But for SA, it decreased the ozone chemical contribution (CHEM) near surface but increased which in the upper layers of PBL, that enlarge the ozone vertical gradients. In this case, more vertical exchanges of ozone would occur with the effect of vertical mixing motion of atmosphere, then the opposite CHEM variations were counteracted with each other and finally led to very slight changes in ozone within PBL. Thus, it can be summarized that AA dominate this impact of aerosols on ozone. Reducing AA could cause a general increase in ozone (ΔO3) over the NCP. Based on the aerosol levels of this case, ΔO3 would be seen over 86 % of the areas in the NCP when reducing AA by 3/4 and ΔO3 was more significant in the megacities. Our study highlights the different relationships between ozone and aerosol types, which suggests that more attentions should be paid on aerosol types, especially AA, when making the synergetic control strategy of aerosols and ozone in China.

Spatio-temporal variation of ozone pollution risk and its influencing factors in China based on Geodetector and Geospatial models

Ozone (O₃) has become the primary pollutant in many cities, and high concentrations of O₃ cause significant harm to the ecological environment and human health. This study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of surface concentrations of ozone over entire China and analyzed the influencing factors based on the geographical detector technique. Moreover, the Pearson correlation analysis was used to analyze the influence of various meteorological factors on ozone concentrations. The results showed that, on the national scale, the daily average O₃ concentration in the cities of China in 2019 was 92.441 μg/m³ and the nonattainment rate of daily average ozone was 7.98%. However, the ozone nonattainment rate was 33.33% in heavily polluted regions. The highest O₃ concentration was observed in summer, and the lowest was observed in spring. The O₃ concentrations in cities across the country showed significant spatial distribution characteristics. Among the five pollutants, the highest correlation was observed between O₃ and PM_2.5 and the lowest was observed between O₃ and SO₂. Among the metrological factors, wind speed and solar radiation are the most influencing factors, and showed positive correlation. Moreover, the annual precipitation is negatively correlated with O₃-8h concentrations. The methods and findings of this paper can be used as an aid for air pollution control programs in different regions for diminishing the risk of exposure to various air pollutants.

Numerical study of the amplification effects of cold-front passage on air pollution over the North China Plain

Cold-front systems provide scavenging mechanisms for air pollution in the North China Plain (NCP), but the transport of pollutants with cold fronts aggravates air quality downstream. The impact of cold fronts on PM_2.5 concentrations over the NCP during 8-14 December 2019 was studied using the WRF-Chem model. Results indicate that cold fronts directly influence PM_2.5 concentration through regional transport of pollutants and adjustment of meteorological systems, and they indirectly affect air quality by influencing aerosol-radiation interaction. Pollutants affecting downstream areas may be transported to altitudes of ~3 km along the frontal surface, with near-surface PM_2.5 concentrations increasing temporarily at up to 15 μg·m^-3·h^-1 behind the surface frontal line owing to the inversion layer triggered by the oblique frontal surface. The transport process plays an essential role in affecting air pollution levels, more than vertical mixing and chemical reaction processes. Changes in the meteorological system (eastward shift of the high-pressure center) occurring with the passage of cold fronts facilitate the accumulation and transport of pollutants in the NCP, reducing air quality in the western and northern NCP. Cold fronts may also indirectly exacerbate near-surface pollutant diffusion conditions by affecting solar radiation incidence, with a reduction of the 2-m temperature by as much as 1 °C, increasing near-surface (<1 and 0.5 km agl on the pre- and post-frontal sides, respectively) PM_2.5 concentrations by up to 40 μg·m^-3, while reducing upper-layer concentrations by up to 30 μg·m^-3. This study emphasizes the amplification effect of cold fronts on air pollution, with inter-regional cooperation being essential in improving air quality in the NCP region.

Spatiotemporal Variation in Ground Level Ozone and Its Driving Factors: A Comparative Study of Coastal and Inland Cities in Eastern China

Variations in marine and terrestrial geographical environments can cause considerable differences in meteorological conditions, economic features, and population density (PD) levels between coastal and inland cities, which in turn can affect the urban air quality. In this study, a five-year (2016-2020) dataset encompassing air monitoring (from the China National Environmental Monitoring Centre), socioeconomic statistical (from the Shandong Province Bureau of Statistics) and meteorological data (from the U.S. National Centers for Environmental Information, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) was employed to investigate the spatiotemporal distribution characteristics and underlying drivers of urban ozone (O₃) in Shandong Province, a region with both land and sea environments in eastern China. The main research methods included the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model and wavelet analysis. From 2016 to 2019, the O₃ concentration increased year by year in most cities, but in 2020, the O₃ concentration in all cities decreased. O₃ concentration exhibited obvious regional differences, with higher levels in inland areas and lower levels in eastern coastal areas. The MGWR analysis results indicated the relationship between PD, urbanization rate (UR), and O₃ was greater in coastal cities than that in the inland cities. Furthermore, the wavelet coherence (WTC) analysis results indicated that the daily maximum temperature was the most important factor influencing the O₃ concentration. Compared with NO, NO₂, and NO_x (NO_x ≡ NO + NO₂), the ratio of NO₂/NO was more coherent with O₃. In addition, the temperature, the wind speed, nitrogen oxides, and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) exerted a greater impact on O₃ in coastal cities than that in inland cities. In summary, the effects of the various abovementioned factors on O₃ differed between coastal cities and inland cities. The present study could provide a scientific basis for targeted O₃ pollution control in coastal and inland cities.

Identification of close relationship between large-scale circulation patterns and ozone-precursor sensitivity in the Pearl River Delta, China

To curb the continuous deterioration of ozone (O₃) pollution in China, identifying the O₃-precursor sensitivity (OPS) and its driving factors is a prerequisite for formulating effective O₃ pollution control measures. Traditional OPS identification methods have limitations in terms of spatiotemporal representation and timeliness; therefore, they are not appropriate for making OPS forecasts for O₃ contingency control. OPS is not only influenced by local precursor emissions but is also closely related to meteorological conditions governed by large-scale circulation (LSC). In this study, a localized three-dimensional numerical modeling system was used to investigate the relationship between LSC and OPS in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) of China during September 2017, a month with continuous O₃ pollution. Our results highlighted that there was a close relationship between LSC and OPS over the PRD, and the four dominant LSC patterns corresponded well to the NO_x-limited, NO_x-limited, VOC-limited, and transitional regimes, respectively. The clear linkage between LSC and OPS was mainly driven by the spatial heterogeneity of NO_x and VOC emissions within and beyond the PRD along the prevailing winds under different LSC patterns. A conceptual model was developed to highlight the intrinsic causality between the LSC and OPS. Because current technology can accurately forecast LSC 48-72 h in advance, the LSC-based OPS forecast method provided us with a novel approach to guide contingency control and management measures to reduce peak O₃ at a regional scale.

Identifying the dominant driver of elevated surface ozone concentration in North China plain during summertime 2012-2017

The increasingly serious surface ozone (O₃) pollution in North China Plain (NCP) has received wide attention. However, the contribution of the changes for each emission source to the elevated O₃ concentration, as well as the direct and indirect effect of meteorological condition variation on increased O₃ level have not been comprehensively analyzed. This study applied the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model coupled with the integrated source apportionment method (ISAM) to quantify changes in daily maximum 8-h average O₃ concentration (MDA8 O₃) under different air pollutants emissions and meteorological conditions during summertime 2012-2017. The results showed that incoordinate NOx/VOC emission control sustainably increased MDA8 O₃ by 2.2-36.2 μg/m³ in the NCP, of which emission changes from industrial and transportation sectors were the predominant contributors (-0.6-19.5 μg/m³ for industrial sector and 1.2-18.1 μg/m³ for transportation, respectively). In contrast, MDA8 O₃ decreased by 2.5-9.2 μg/m³ for the power plants. The effect of changes in meteorological condition on MDA8 O₃ exhibited significantly spatial and temporal variation and unfavorable meteorological fields were shown in 2014, 2016, and 2017, which enhanced MDA8 O₃ by -2.5-23.1, -5.3-20.7, and -7.2-25.8 μg/m³, respectively. In addition, the changed meteorological factors indirectly affected the biogenic emission thus prompting the increases of MDA8 O₃ by -3.9-4.9 μg/m³ in the NCP during 2012-2017. The sensitive simulations suggested that more aggressive control measures about VOC reduction in industrial and transportation sectors should be implemented to further mitigate the O₃ pollution under unfavorable meteorological condition.

Analysis of the Characteristics of Ozone Pollution in the North China Plain from 2016 to 2020

As a major gaseous pollutant, ozone (O3) adversely affects human health and ecosystems. In recent years, ozone pollution in China has gradually become a prominent issue, especially in the North China Plain (NCP). To study the long-term spatio-temporal variation patterns of O3 in the NCP, this study selected 230 monitoring stations in the NCP from 2016 to 2020 as research objects, used the Kriging interpolation method and global Moran’s index to discuss the spatial-temporal distribution of O3, combining meteorological and social statistical data to analyze the causes underlying regional differences. The temporal analysis demonstrated that the O3-8h average concentrations increased annually from 2016 to 2018 and decreased from 2019 to 2020. The O3 concentrations were higher in spring and summer (117.89–154.20 μg/m3) and lower in autumn and winter (53.81–92.95 μg/m3). The spatial analysis revealed that O3 concentrations were low in the north and south of the NCP but high in the central area. The spatial distribution of O3 exhibited considerable cross-seasonal variability. Both meteorological conditions of high temperature and low pressure increased O3 concentrations. The spatial distribution of O3 varied depending on the period. However, the central and western regions of the Shandong Province were constantly characterized by high O3 concentrations. This pattern has been likely formed by heavy industry in the Shandong Province, as large-scale industrial production and frequent traffic flows produce a large amount of precursors, thereby exacerbating regional O3 pollution. These characteristics were attributed to emission reduction policies, meteorological conditions, the emission intensity of anthropogenic sources, and regional transport in the NCP. Overall, for cities with heavy industrial facilities in the central NCP, a timely adjustment of the energy and industrial structure, effectively controlling the emission of precursors, promoting new clean energy, and strengthening regional joint prevention and control are effective ways to alleviate O3 pollution.

Prediction of the Impact of Meteorological Conditions on Air Quality during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics

The issue of air pollution has attracted more and more attention. Understanding how to predict air quality based on weather conditions has strong practical significance. For the first time, this paper combines weather circulation with climate prediction models to explore long-term air quality predictions. Using the T-mode (time realizations in columns) objective circulation classification method, we classified the weather circulation affecting Beijing, China, according to nine categories of predominant weather conditions. PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO concentration distributions for these nine circulation patterns were also determined. When the Beijing area was controlled by northwestern low pressure, a high-pressure rear, or a weak pressure field, the PM2.5 concentrations were higher, while high-pressure systems and a high-pressure rear were mostly associated with relatively high NO2, SO2, and CO concentrations. The concentrations of these pollutants under high-pressure fronts and northwestern high-pressure settings were low. Using the FLEXPART-WRF model to simulate the 48 h backward trajectory of the highest PM2.5 concentration under the nine circulation patterns from 2015 to 2021, we obtained the trap time of pollutants per unit concentration (imprint analysis) and determined the particle trap area under each circulation pattern. When using the EC-Earth climate prediction model, the daily circulation field during the Beijing Winter Olympics was forecasted, and the nine circulation patterns were compared. The corresponding circulation pattern in Beijing during the 2022 Winter Olympics should be conducive to the diffusion of pollutants and, therefore, the air quality is expected to be good.

Multi-scale analysis of the impacts of meteorology and emissions on PM2.5 and O3 trends at various regions in China from 2013 to 2020 1: Synoptic circulation patterns and pollution

A multiscale analysis of meteorological trends was carried out to investigate the impacts of the large-scale circulation types as well as the local-scale key weather elements on the complex air pollutants, i.e. PM_2.5 and O₃ in China. As the first paper in the series, the relationship between synoptic circulation patterns and pollution was investigated. Six types of circulation patterns are defined and clustered to correlate with the observed pollutant levels, resulting in the identification of the impact similarity and difference of circulations on PM_2.5 and O₃ for three regions in China, i.e., the BTH (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei), YRD (Yangtze River Delta) and PRD (Peral River Delta), from 2013 to 2020. It is found that the six clustered circulation patterns were able to classify the circulation patterns that influence the pollutants and yield significant correlations with O₃ and PM_2.5 in three regions. The major circulation patterns governing the heavy PM_2.5 and O₃ were identified separately for each region and found to show inter-annual variabilities. Composite analysis indicated that there were some circulation patterns that caused the dual-highs of PM_2.5 and O₃ with about 13%, 8% and 3% occurrences during the period of 2013 to 2020 in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, respectively. The key weather elements for each type of circulation pattern were also identified. A detailed study of the impacts of key weather elements and emissions on the PM_2.5 and O₃ trends will accompany this paper (Gong et al., 2022).

Understanding the underlying mechanisms governing the linkage between atmospheric oxidative capacity and ozone precursor sensitivity in the Yangtze River Delta, China: A multi-tool ensemble analysis

Continued exacerbation of ozone (O₃) pollution in China has driven the urgent need for an emission control strategy that efficiently reduces O₃ levels. Determining O₃ precursor sensitivity (OPS) and its driving factors is a prerequisite for formulating effective O₃ control strategies. In this study, we proposed an atmospheric oxidative capacity-based indicator, HO₂/OH, and demonstrated its effectiveness in indicating OPS over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China by applying a localized comprehensive air quality model with extensions (CAMx) coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. A strong correlation was discovered between HO₂/OH and OPS, and HO₂/OH showed the best performance in separating NO_x- and VOC-limited regimes in comparison with other commonly used indicators. A comprehensive analysis with ensemble diagnostic tools revealed the spatial heterogeneity of NO_x and VOC emissions and the impact of regional transport controlling the relationship between OPS variations and the HO₂/OH indicator over the YRD. The process analysis results show that days with higher contributions from horizontal advection favored OPS transitions in Shanghai, Nanjing, Hefei, Suzhou, and Wuhu, while vertical advection caused OPS transitions in Hangzhou and Ningbo. O₃ source apportionment technology analysis indicated that the regional contributions from Zhejiang and Jiangsu/Anhui corresponded well to the NO_x-limited and VOC-limited regimes, respectively. Our results provide a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms of the relationship between OPS and the HO₂/OH indicator and can help guide contingency control measures for O₃ despiking over the YRD and other photochemically active regions worldwide.

A New Index Developed for Fast Diagnosis of Meteorological Roles in Ground-Level Ozone Variations

China experienced worsening ground-level ozone (O₃) pollution from 2013 to 2019. In this study, meteorological parameters, including surface temperature (T ₂ ), solar radiation (SW), and wind speed (WS), were classified into two aspects, (1) Photochemical Reaction Condition (PRC = T ₂ × SW) and (2) Physical Dispersion Capacity (PDC = WS). In this way, a Meteorology Synthetic Index (MSI = PRC/PDC) was developed for the quantification of meteorology-induced ground-level O₃ pollution. The positive linear relationship between the 90th percentile of MDA8 (maximum daily 8-h average) O₃ concentration and MSI determined that the contribution of meteorological changes to ground-level O_-3 varied on a latitudinal gradient, decreasing from ∼40% in southern China to 10%-20% in northern China. Favorable photochemical reaction conditions were more important for ground-level O₃ pollution. This study proposes a universally applicable index for fast diagnosis of meteorological roles in ground-level O₃ variability, which enables the assessment of the observed effects of precursor emissions reductions that can be used for designing future control policies.

ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL

Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at 10.1007/s00376-021-1257-x.

Multiply improved positive matrix factorization for source apportionment of volatile organic compounds during the COVID-19 shutdown in Tianjin, China

Ambient concentrations of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) vary with emission rates, meteorology, and chemistry. Conventional positive matrix factorization (PMF) loses information because of dilution variations and chemical losses. Multiply improved PMF incorporates the ventilation coefficient, and total solar radiation or oxidants to reduce the effects of dispersion and chemical loss. These methods were applied to hourly speciated VOC data from November 2019 to March 2020 including during the COVID-19 shutdown. Various comparisons were made to assess the influences of these fluctuation drivers by time of day. Dispersion normalized PMF (DN-PMF) reduced the dispersion variations. Dispersion-radiation normalized PMF (DRN-PMF) reduced the impact of chemical loss, especially at night, which was better than Dispersion-O_x normalized PMF (DON-PMF). The conditional bivariate probability function (CBPF) plots of DRN-PMF results were consist with actual source locations. The DN-PMF, DRN-PMF, and DON-PMF results were consistent between 10:00 and 15:00, suggesting dispersion was significantly more influential than photochemical reactions during these times. The DRN-PMF results indicated that the highest VOC contributors during the COVID-19 shutdown were liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) (28.8%), natural gas (25.2%), and pulverized coal boilers emissions (19.6%). Except for petrochemical-related enterprises and LPG, the contribution concentrations of all other sources decreased substantially during the COVID-19 shutdown, by 94.7%, 90.6%, and 86.8% for vehicle emissions, gasoline evaporation, and the mixed source of diesel evaporation and solvent use, respectively. Controlling the use of motor vehicles and related volatilization of diesel fuel and gasoline can be effective in controlling VOCs in the future.

Impact of meteorological conditions at multiple scales on ozone concentration in the Yangtze River Delta

Tropospheric ozone is known to have adverse effects on human health. Ozone pollution events are often associated with specific atmospheric circulation conditions. Therefore, studying the relationship between atmospheric circulation and ozone is particularly important for early warning and forecasting of ozone pollution events. Focusing on the Yangtze River Delta region, particularly in four important large industrial cities (Xuzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, and Hangzhou) in the Yangtze River Delta, the T-mode objective classification method was applied to classify the weather circulation that mainly affects the Yangtze River Delta region into nine types. Local wind fields for the four industrial cities were classified according to their propensity for ventilation, stagnation, and recirculation based on the Allwine and Whiteman method. Based on the analysis of large-scale atmospheric circulation, we concluded that certain circulation patterns correspond to excessive ozone concentrations, while other circulation patterns correspond to good air quality. Moreover, ozone pollution was not closely related to local regional transmission. The importance of high temperatures in potentiating ozone pollution was also identified in the study area, whereas the effect of relative humidity was negligible. Finally, the importance of the different scale atmospheric motions was analyzed by studying two specific ozone pollution events in Xuzhou area (March, 2019) and Nanjing area (July-August, 2017). This analysis was complemented by HYSPLIT model's outputs to simulate the pollutant diffusion path. Regarding the first episode, ozone concentration is often closely related to the slowly approaching thermal high-pressure system. In the second episode, local transmission had little effect on the generation and spread of ozone pollution. Furthermore, and comparing the circulation conditions with local meteorological factors, it was found that the increase in ozone concentration was often accompanied by higher temperature, and the response to humidity was not clear.

Distinct spatiotemporal variation patterns of surface ozone in China due to diverse influential factors

A better knowledge of surface ozone variations and the relevant influential factors is of great significance for controlling frequent ozone pollution events. In this study, we first examined the primary variation patterns of surface ozone in space and time across China via a clustering analysis on the basis of daily maximum 8h average surface ozone (MDA8) between 2015 and 2018. Statistical models were then established between MDA8 and a set of influential factors to pinpoint dominant factors contributing to regional MDA8 variations. The clustering results revealed four typical variation patterns of MDA8 in China given distinct pollution levels, seasonality, and long-term trends. Statistical modeling results indicated that the seasonal variability of MDA8 was closely associated with UV radiation and meteorological factors like boundary layer height, temperature and relative humidity. In contrast, the long-term trends of MDA8 were largely linked to ozone precursors and meteorological variables including temperature, relative humidity, and total cloud cover. Moreover, the phenomenal increasing trends of MDA8 in North China were found to be statistically associated with the depletion of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and carbon monoxide (CO). Specifically, substantial increases in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) along with depletions in NO₂ and CO significantly boosted the photochemical ozone formation chain process in a VOC-limited regime like the North China plain. Overall, the inferred linkage in this study provides evidence and clues to help control increasing ozone pollution events in North China.

Changes in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: A multi-city study

The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated into one of the largest crises of the 21st Century. The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, responsible for COVID-19, has spread rapidly all around the world. The Spanish Government was forced to declare a nationwide lockdown in view of the rapidly spreading virus and high mortality rate in the nation. This study investigated the impact of short-term lockdown during the period from March 15th to April 12th 2020 on the atmospheric levels of CO, SO₂, PM₁₀, O₃, and NO₂ over 11 representative Spanish cities. The possible influence of several meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, wind, sunlight hours, minimum and maximum pressure) on the pollutants' levels were also considered. The results obtained show that the 4-week lockdown had significant impact on reducing the atmospheric levels of NO₂ in all cities except for the small city of Santander as well as CO, SO₂, and PM₁₀ in some cities, but resulted in increase of O₃ level.