Assessing Spatial and Temporal Patterns of Observed Ground-level Ozone in China

Elevated ground-level ozone (O-3), which is an important aspect of air quality related to public health, has been causing increasing concern. This study investigated the spatiotemporal distribution of ground-level O-3 concentrations in China using a dataset from the Chinese national air quality monitoring network during 2013-2015. This research analyzed the diurnal, monthly and yearly variation of O-3 concentrations in both sparsely and densely populated regions. In particular, 6 major Chinese cities were selected to allow a discussion of variations in O-3 levels in detail, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Lanzhou, Shanghai, and Urumchi, located on both sides of the Heihe-Tengchong line. Data showed that the nationwide 3-year MDA8 of ground-level O-3 was 80.26 mu g/m(3). Ground-level O-3 concentrations exhibited monthly variability peaking in summer and reaching the lowest levels in winter. The diurnal cycle reached a minimum in morning and peaked in the afternoon. Yearly average O-3 MDA8 concentrations in Beijing, Chengdu, Lanzhou, and Shanghai in 2015 increased 12%, 25%, 34%, 22%, respectively, when compared with those in 2013. Compared with World Health Organization O-3 guidelines, Beijing, Chengdu, Guangzhou, and Shanghai suffered O-3 pollution in excess of the 8-hour O-3 standard for more than 30% of the days in 2013 to 2015.