Understanding sources of fine particulate matter in China

Fine particulate matter has been a major concern in China as it is closely linked to issues such as haze, health and climate impacts. Since China released its new national air quality standard for fine particulate matter (PM2.5 ) in 2012, great efforts have been put into reducing its concentration and meeting the standard. Significant improvement has been seen in recent years, especially in Beijing, the capital city of China. This paper reviews how China understands its sources of fine particulate matter, the major contributor to haze, and the most recent findings by researchers. It covers the characteristics of PM2.5 in China, the major methods to understand its sources such as emission inventory and measurement networks, the major research programmes in air quality research, and the major measures that lead to successful control of fine particulate matter pollution. A great example of linking scientific findings to policy is the control of coal combustion from the residential sector in northern China. This review not only provides an overview of the fine particulate matter pollution problem in China, but also its experience of air quality management, which may benefit other countries facing similar issues.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue ‘Air quality, past present and future’.