An investigation of PM2.5 concentration changes in Mid-Eastern China before and after COVID-19 outbreak

Abstract

With the Chinese government revising ambient air quality standards and strengthening the monitoring and management of pollutants such as PM2.5, the concentrations of air pollutants in China have gradually decreased in recent years. Meanwhile, the strong control measures taken by the Chinese government in the face of COVID-19 in 2020 have an extremely profound impact on the reduction of pollutants in China. Therefore, investigations of pollutant concentration changes in China before and after COVID-19 outbreak are very necessary and concerning, but the number of monitoring stations is very limited, making it difficult to conduct a high spatial density investigation. In this study, we construct a modern deep learning model based on multi-source data, which includes remotely sensed AOD data products, other reanalysis element data, and ground monitoring station data. Combining satellite remote sensing techniques, we finally realize a high spital density PM2.5 concentration change investigation method, and analyze the seasonal and annual, the spatial and temporal characteristics of PM2.5 concentrations in Mid-Eastern China from 2016 to 2021 and the impact of epidemic closure and control measures on regional and provincial PM2.5 concentrations. We find that PM2.5 concentrations in Mid-Eastern China during these years is mainly characterized by “north-south superiority and central inferiority”, seasonal differences are evident, with the highest in winter, the second highest in autumn and the lowest in summer, and a gradual decrease in overall concentration during the year. According to our experimental results, the annual average PM2.5 concentration decreases by 3.07 % in 2020, and decreases by 24.53 % during the shutdown period, which is probably caused by China's epidemic control measures. At the same time, some provinces with a large share of secondary industry see PM2.5 concentrations drop by more than 30 %. By 2021, PM2.5 concentrations rebound slightly, rising by 10 % in most provinces.