ABSTRACT
Foshan, an important economic center in Pearl River Delta, has repeatedly ranked in the last few places in the Guangdong Province in terms of air quality in recent years. It is of great significance to improve the air quality of Foshan by exploring the changing trend of air quality and the characteristics of air pollution in Foshan. This paper investigated the changing trend of annual air quality from 2015 to 2021 in Foshan and the changing trend of monthly air quality in different months. The results showed that the annual air quality in Foshan improved from 2015 to 2021, and the monthly average concentration of NO2, PM2.5, and PM10, as well as the monthly 95% quantile concentration of CO (CO-95per) and the monthly air quality composite index (Isum) generally decreased from January to June and increased from July to December, while the monthly 90% quantile concentration of 8-hour maximum ozone concentration (O3-8h-90per) generally increased from January to June and decreased from July to December. Moreover, it could increase the rate of air quality index (AQI) level of good and decrease the rate of AQI level of unhealthy by reducing the concentration of NO2, while it could decrease the air quality composite index by reducing the concentration of SO2, NO2, CO-95per, PM10, PM2.5. Therefore, strict prevention and control of nitrogen dioxide could significantly improve air quality in Foshan.
