Air Quality Assessment and Particulate Matter Analysis
Summary
Air quality assessment encompasses the systematic measurement and interpretation of airborne contaminants to evaluate their concentration, distribution and potential health and environmental impacts. Particulate matter (PM), categorised by aerodynamic diameter such as PM2.5 and PM10, is of particular concern due to its capacity to penetrate the respiratory system and to carry toxic constituents. Analytical approaches combine ground-based monitoring networks, remote sensing and numerical modelling to capture spatial and temporal variability. Chemical characterisation techniques, including filter sampling, ion chromatography and mass spectrometry, reveal the composition of organic and inorganic fractions, enabling the identification of primary sources such as combustion emissions, dust resuspension and biomass burning, as well as secondary formation processes that convert gaseous precursors to aerosol. Receptor and source apportionment models, for instance positive matrix factorisation, quantify the contribution of individual sources to ambient PM concentrations. Advances in high-time-resolution instrumentation allow the dynamic tracking of pollution episodes and the influence of meteorological drivers such as monsoon cycles and synoptic weather patterns. The integration of epidemiological data, emission inventories and chemical transport models underpins evidence-based policy and mitigation strategies, informing regional and transboundary air quality management. A comprehensive understanding of PM behaviour, from emission pathways to atmospheric transformation and deposition, is essential for safeguarding public health and maintaining ecosystem integrity on a global scale.
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Air Quality Assessment and Particulate Matter Analysis publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in air quality assessment and particulate matter analysis across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10): airborne particles with aerodynamic diameters below 2.5 µm and 10 µm, respectively.
Secondary inorganic aerosol: particulate matter formed by atmospheric chemical reactions of gaseous precursors such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides.
Source apportionment: analytical approach to quantify the contributions of individual emission sources to ambient pollutant concentrations.
Positive matrix factorisation (PMF): a receptor modelling technique that deconvolves observed chemical data into source profiles and contributions.
Regional transport: movement of pollutants across geographical boundaries driven by prevailing wind patterns and atmospheric circulation.
References
- Footprints of El Niño La Niña on the evolution of particulate matter over subtropical Island Taiwan. npj Climate and Atmospheric Science (2023).
- High-time-resolution source apportionment of PM2.5 in Beijing with multiple models. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2019).
- Characteristics of PM2.5 mass concentrations and chemical species in urban and background areas of China: emerging results from the CARE-China network. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (2018).
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