Air pollution, including particulate matter (PM_2.5) pollution, is extremely harmful to the environment as well as human health. The Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) Region has experienced heavy PM_2.5 pollution within China. In this study, a six-year time series (January 2013–December 2018) of PM_2.5 mass concentration data from 102 air quality monitoring stations were studied to understand the spatio-temporal variation characteristics of the BTH region. The average annual PM_2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region decreased from 98.9 μg/m³ in 2013 to 64.9 μg/m³ in 2017. Therefore, China has achieved its Air Pollution Prevention and Control Plan goal of reducing the concentration of fine particulate matter in the BTH region by 25% by 2017. The PM_2.5 pollution in BTH plain areas showed a more significant change than mountains areas, with the highest PM_2.5 mass concentration in winter and the lowest in summer. The results of spatial autocorrelation and cluster analyses showed that the PM_2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region from 2013–2018 showed a significant spatial agglomeration, and that spatial distribution characteristics were high in the south and low in the north. Changes in PM_2.5 mass concentration in the BTH region were affected by both socio-economic factors and meteorological factors. Our results can provide a point of reference for making PM_2.5 pollution control decisions.

As a major gaseous pollutant, ozone (O₃) adversely affects human health and ecosystems. In recent years, ozone pollution in China has gradually become a prominent issue, especially in the North China Plain (NCP). To study the long-term spatio-temporal variation patterns of O₃ in the NCP, this study selected 230 monitoring stations in the NCP from 2016 to 2020 as research objects, used the Kriging interpolation method and global Moran’s index to discuss the spatial-temporal distribution of O₃, combining meteorological and social statistical data to analyze the causes underlying regional differences. The temporal analysis demonstrated that the O₃-8h average concentrations increased annually from 2016 to 2018 and decreased from 2019 to 2020. The O₃ concentrations were higher in spring and summer (117.89–154.20 μg/m³) and lower in autumn and winter (53.81–92.95 μg/m³). The spatial analysis revealed that O₃ concentrations were low in the north and south of the NCP but high in the central area. The spatial distribution of O₃ exhibited considerable cross-seasonal variability. Both meteorological conditions of high temperature and low pressure increased O₃ concentrations. The spatial distribution of O₃ varied depending on the period. However, the central and western regions of the Shandong Province were constantly characterized by high O₃ concentrations. This pattern has been likely formed by heavy industry in the Shandong Province, as large-scale industrial production and frequent traffic flows produce a large amount of precursors, thereby exacerbating regional O₃ pollution. These characteristics were attributed to emission reduction policies, meteorological conditions, the emission intensity of anthropogenic sources, and regional transport in the NCP. Overall, for cities with heavy industrial facilities in the central NCP, a timely adjustment of the energy and industrial structure, effectively controlling the emission of precursors, promoting new clean energy, and strengthening regional joint prevention and control are effective ways to alleviate O₃ pollution.

In this study, a large construction waste dump in Beijing, China, was used as the study area. Nineteen effective atmospheric dust samples were collected. The mass fractions of 14 metal elements (Ca, Fe, Al, Mg, Mn, Zn, Cr, Cu, V, Pb, Ni, As, Co, and Cd) were determined for the samples using ICP-MS. The pollutants and the potential ecological risk levels of 10 different heavy metals were evaluated using the enrichment factor, geo-accumulation index, and a potential ecological risk assessment method. The results showed that the Ca, Fe, Al, and Mg contents in the dust fall were considerably high and accounted for 98.81% of the total mass of the analysed metals. Cd and Zn were the main metal contaminants in the dust fall in the vicinity of the construction waste dump, followed by Cu and Mn. The Cd, Zn, Cu, and Mn contents in the construction waste had a significant impact on atmospheric pollution within 250 m of the dump. Moreover, Cd had the largest contribution to the comprehensive ecological risk posed by the heavy metals in the dust fall and was determined to be the primary ecological risk factor in the atmospheric environment in the vicinity of the construction waste dump.