Episodes of fine-particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution are a widespread and common occurrence in China, and have potentially serious implications for human health. Meteorological conditions play an important role in air quality and influence the formation of regional air pollution episodes. This study applied a new classification method and daily PM2.5 concentration data to (a) evaluate different levels of air pollution in the Sichuan-Chongqing region between 2015 and 2017, and (b) investigate their relationships with meteorological parameters including atmospheric boundary layer height, wind speed, temperature inversion, weather type, and atmospheric transport. We identified a total of 40 air pollution episodes, the most severe of which occurred in winter when the atmospheric layer height was low. These heavy pollution events also coincided with low surface (10 m) wind speeds and temperature inversions, weather conditions that generally result from low pressure over the northwestern Sichuan Basin (90-102° E, 28-36° N) and southerly atmospheric transport.
Keywords: Air pollution; Meteorological factors; PM(2.5); Pollution episode.
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