Evolution of the spatiotemporal pattern of PM2.5 concentrations in China – a case study from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region

Atmospheric haze pollution has become a global concern because of its severe effects on human health and the environment. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei urban agglomeration is located in northern China, and its haze is the most serious in China. The high concentration of PM2.5 is the main cause of haze pollution, and thus investigating the temporal and spatial characteristics of PM2.5 is important for understanding the mechanisms underlying PM2.5 pollution and for preventing haze. In this study, the PM2.5 concentration status in 13 cities from the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region was statistically analyzed from January 2016 to November 2016, and the spatial variation of PM2.5 was explored via spatial autocorrelation analysis. The research yielded three overall results. (1) The distribution of PM2.5 concentrations in this area varied greatly during the study period. The concentrations increased from late autumn to early winter, and the spatial range expanded from southeast to northwest. In contrast, the PM2.5 concentration decreased rapidly from late winter to early spring, and the spatial range narrowed from northwest to southeast. (2) The spatial dependence degree, by season from high to low, was in the order winter, autumn, spring, summer. Winter (from December to February of the subsequent year) and summer (from June to August) were, respectively, the highest and lowest seasons with regard to the spatial homogeneity of PM2.5 concentrations. (3) The PM2.5 concentration in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region has significant spatial spillovers. Overall, cities far from Bohai Bay, such as Shijiazhuang and Hengshui, demonstrated a high-high concentration of PM2.5 pollution, while coastal cities, such as Chengde and Qinhuangdao, showed a low-low concentration