Abstract
To effectively control air pollution, it is necessary to obtain a preliminary assessment of air quality. The purpose of this study was to introduce a cloud model method in air pollution assessment. First, the standard cloud models of air pollution indicators were obtained, and the calculating process of numerical characteristics employed by the standard cloud model was explained. Second, the levels of air pollution indicators were presented based on the qualitative and quantitative analysis of cloud models, which realized the uncertainty conversion between qualitative concepts and their corresponding quantitative values, as well as taking the fuzziness and randomness into account. Air quality assessment results including SO2, NO2, CO, O3, PM10 and PM2.5 were analysed. Third, the cloud model adopted in the assessment process of air quality was validated by grey relational analysis, and the results confirmed the validity of cloud model assessment. Fourth, the air pollution level of the air quality index (AQI) was determined, and the fuzziness and randomness of the assessment results were thoroughly analysed by taking entropy and hyper entropy into consideration. Fifth, seasonal variations in different air pollution indicators were analysed to proffer a series of recommendations for government policy decision-makers and travellers. The cloud model provided a new method for air quality assessment.
Highlights
China’s economy has rapidly expanded since the Reform and Opening policy [1] and is the world’s second largest
It is necessary to calculate the air quality index (AQI) to determine the air quality for a given area, so the air pollution concentrations in table 1 were transformed to standard cloud models according to equations (2.2)–(2.4); the results are shown in table 2
Its quantitative numerical characteristics are (73.50, 39.93, 23.36) and its qualitative concept is shown in figure 2a; it falls between Moderately and Lightly Polluted in the standard cloud models
Summary
China’s economy has rapidly expanded since the Reform and Opening policy [1] and is the world’s second largest. The improved living standards accompanied by this economic growth have, resulted in severe environmental effects [2,3], which are dangerous to both the economy and human health [4]. To effectively control air pollution, it is first necessary to thoroughly and scientifically assess the current air quality [5,6]. Heavy element pollution can be divided into natural and anthropogenic pollution sources [7]. Airborne heavy elements and gaseous, semivolatile and particulate matter.
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