This June, Ph.D. candidate Geng Guannan in Cess, Tsinghua University published a paper as the first author on Remote Sensing of Environment. Title of the paper is "Estimating long-term PM2.5 concentrations in China using satellite-based aerosol optical depth and a chemical transport model" and Professor Zhang Qiang is the corresponding author. Aerosol optical depth data from satellite remote sensing and atmospheric chemistry transport model GEOS-Chem were used to derive spatial distribution of ground concentration of PM2.5 from 2006 to 2012 in China. Co-authors are Professor Randall Martin and Doctor Aaron van Donkelaar in Dalhousie University, Professor He Kebin from Department of Environment in Tsinghua University.

With rapid economic development, China has become the place with the highest PM2.5 concentration around the world, which arose attention from policy-makers, scientists and the public. However, unified monitoring of PM2.5 started late in China. Lack of long-term continuous historical monitoring data makes it hard to carry out study on its impact on public health. Satellite remote sensing is board in monitoring range and good in continuity, so as to better supplement ground-based observations. In this study, upgraded method of deriving surface PM concentration from satellite remote sensing and atmospheric model is used to simulate long-term exposure of PM2.5 concentration from 2006 to 2012. Results are in good agreement with observation data from previous studies. This study shows that PM2.5 pollution is very severe in China, with population-weighted PM2.5 concentration of 71 μg/m³, as well as over 10 billion people living in regions with PM2.5 concentrations higher than the standard of WHO in transition period (35 μg/m³). This dataset provide solid data support for future study of health impact.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0034425715300171