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Has China been exporting less particulate air pollution over the past decade?
Author(s) -
Zhang Jianglong,
Reid Jeffrey S.,
AlfaroContreras Ricardo,
Xian Peng
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2017gl072617
Subject(s) - particulates , environmental science , pollution , china , air quality index , particulate pollution , aerosol , air pollution , outflow , spring (device) , atmospheric sciences , climatology , meteorology , geography , geology , mechanical engineering , ecology , chemistry , archaeology , organic chemistry , engineering , biology
Abstract Particulate matter (PM) pollution from China is transported eastward to Korea and Japan and has been suggested to influence surface air quality on the West Coast of the United States. However, remote sensing studies have been inconclusive as to recent trends in Chinese emissions and transport. We reconciled different passive remote sensing points of view and found that while aerosol optical thickness (AOT) as an indicator of particulate pollution has increased from the start of the observation period (2000) to 2006–2007 from the main Chinese coastal outflow regions, since then there has been a 10–20% decrease in AOT (with respect to 2007). Reductions were observed in spring, summer, and fall seasons. No improvement in exported PM pollution is found for the winter season.