PM10 Observed at a Meteorological Station in Beijing: Historical Trend and Implications

Inhalable particles (PM10), with aerodynamic equivalent diameters that are generally 10 micrometers or smaller, are basic pollutants in many areas, especially in northern China, and thus the pollution from PM10 inhalable particulate matter is a growing concern for public health. Independent long-term observations are necessary to evaluate the efficacy of PM10 reduction actions. Variations in the PM10 concentration from 2006 to 2017 at an observation station (NJ) in Beijing were recorded and analyzed. The average value ±1 standard deviation of daily mean PM10 concentrations was 138.8 ±96.1 μg m-3 for 1307 days (accounting for 34.7% of the total days), showing PM10 concentration exceeding the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) 24-h average of 150 μg m-3. Particulate concentration depended upon various meteorological conditions as also observed in this work: at low wind speed (<4 m s-1), the concentrations of PM10 revealed a downward trend with -19 μg m-3 per unit of wind speed, but when wind speed rose (>4 m s-1), the values increased by 49 μg m-3 per unit of wind speed. In Beijing, air masses from northwest China, especially from the Gobi Desert and other desert areas, had net contributions to long-range transport of natural dust, enhancing the PM10 concentrations by up to 29%. Overall, PM10 mass concentration showed a significant downward trend with -8.0 μg/m3/yr from 2006 to 2017. Although with higher fluctuations in recorded data, similar downward trends derived from the ) in 2017 still exceeded the NAAQS standard. The results showed that there is still a long way to go to reduce PM10 in Beijing.