Cleaning up the air: effectiveness of air quality policy for SO2 and NOx emissions in China

van der A, Ronald J.; Mijling, Bas; Ding, Jieying; Koukouli, Maria Elissavet; Liu, Fei; Li, Qing; Mao, Huiqin; Theys, Nicolas

doi:10.5194/acp-17-1775-2017

Articles | Volume 17, issue 3

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1775-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Special issue:

East Asia emissions assessment (EA2)

https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-17-1775-2017

© Author(s) 2017. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.

Articles | Volume 17, issue 3

Research article

|

06 Feb 2017

Research article |

| 06 Feb 2017

Cleaning up the air: effectiveness of air quality policy for SO₂ and NO_x emissions in China

Ronald J. van der A, Bas Mijling, Jieying Ding, Maria Elissavet Koukouli, Fei Liu, Qing Li, Huiqin Mao, and Nicolas Theys

Viewed

Total article views: 7,864 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)

HTML	PDF	XML	Total	BibTeX	EndNote
4,659	3,030	175	7,864	208	271

HTML: 4,659
PDF: 3,030
XML: 175
Total: 7,864
BibTeX: 208
EndNote: 271

Views and downloads (calculated since 31 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	75	37	1	113
Jun 2016	60	26	1	87
Jul 2016	17	7	0	24
Aug 2016	27	15	2	44
Sep 2016	17	10	0	27
Oct 2016	18	4	4	26
Nov 2016	8	9	9	26
Dec 2016	9	3	0	12
Jan 2017	15	11	2	28
Feb 2017	242	90	4	336
Mar 2017	56	68	1	125
Apr 2017	59	74	1	134
May 2017	50	49	2	101
Jun 2017	46	49	3	98
Jul 2017	35	24	0	59
Aug 2017	29	38	2	69
Sep 2017	35	60	1	96
Oct 2017	28	39	1	68
Nov 2017	75	54	1	130
Dec 2017	27	31	1	59
Jan 2018	44	33	2	79
Feb 2018	29	44	2	75
Mar 2018	30	39	1	70
Apr 2018	31	37	0	68
May 2018	28	39	2	69
Jun 2018	20	30	0	50
Jul 2018	23	13	0	36
Aug 2018	34	34	0	68
Sep 2018	36	32	0	68
Oct 2018	17	42	1	60
Nov 2018	29	51	1	81
Dec 2018	25	29	1	55
Jan 2019	15	20	1	36
Feb 2019	16	36	0	52
Mar 2019	22	29	0	51
Apr 2019	28	14	0	42
May 2019	31	25	2	58
Jun 2019	24	12	0	36
Jul 2019	13	20	2	35
Aug 2019	15	30	0	45
Sep 2019	11	19	1	31
Oct 2019	14	31	2	47
Nov 2019	20	28	0	48
Dec 2019	11	30	1	42
Jan 2020	14	11	0	25
Feb 2020	10	28	1	39
Mar 2020	10	14	0	24
Apr 2020	15	28	1	44
May 2020	10	26	0	36
Jun 2020	24	24	0	48
Jul 2020	34	16	4	54
Aug 2020	18	19	4	41
Sep 2020	15	5	3	23
Oct 2020	16	10	0	26
Nov 2020	8	16	1	25
Dec 2020	19	16	1	36
Jan 2021	27	13	0	40
Feb 2021	24	15	0	39
Mar 2021	32	21	3	56
Apr 2021	28	19	1	48
May 2021	18	16	1	35
Jun 2021	29	25	0	54
Jul 2021	27	14	1	42
Aug 2021	29	21	0	50
Sep 2021	29	16	0	45
Oct 2021	35	48	1	84
Nov 2021	40	40	1	81
Dec 2021	32	25	2	59
Jan 2022	40	22	1	63
Feb 2022	43	27	4	74
Mar 2022	39	21	2	62
Apr 2022	50	27	4	81
May 2022	48	17	3	68
Jun 2022	36	9	2	47
Jul 2022	20	4	1	25
Aug 2022	28	18	0	46
Sep 2022	18	16	1	35
Oct 2022	18	10	2	30
Nov 2022	36	18	2	56
Dec 2022	34	10	1	45
Jan 2023	52	21	1	74
Feb 2023	50	15	2	67
Mar 2023	78	60	9	147
Apr 2023	45	53	1	99
May 2023	53	20	1	74
Jun 2023	60	14	1	75
Jul 2023	60	22	1	83
Aug 2023	59	19	4	82
Sep 2023	98	23	1	122
Oct 2023	119	36	3	158
Nov 2023	71	17	0	88
Dec 2023	65	30	6	101
Jan 2024	67	26	0	93
Feb 2024	55	25	0	80
Mar 2024	79	39	3	121
Apr 2024	78	25	3	106
May 2024	63	26	1	90
Jun 2024	78	26	2	106
Jul 2024	32	20	0	52
Aug 2024	54	22	4	80
Sep 2024	37	31	0	68
Oct 2024	71	37	2	110
Nov 2024	56	19	3	78
Dec 2024	42	30	4	76
Jan 2025	36	29	2	67
Feb 2025	67	28	0	95
Mar 2025	67	28	3	98
Apr 2025	52	19	2	73
May 2025	66	18	0	84
Jun 2025	89	18	1	108
Jul 2025	55	29	1	85
Aug 2025	68	26	2	96
Sep 2025	76	17	3	96
Oct 2025	47	28	1	76
Nov 2025	67	34	5	106
Dec 2025	0

Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 31 May 2016)

Month	HTML	PDF	XML	Total
May 2016	75	37	1	113
Jun 2016	60	26	1	87
Jul 2016	17	7	0	24
Aug 2016	27	15	2	44
Sep 2016	17	10	0	27
Oct 2016	18	4	4	26
Nov 2016	8	9	9	26
Dec 2016	9	3	0	12
Jan 2017	15	11	2	28
Feb 2017	242	90	4	336
Mar 2017	56	68	1	125
Apr 2017	59	74	1	134
May 2017	50	49	2	101
Jun 2017	46	49	3	98
Jul 2017	35	24	0	59
Aug 2017	29	38	2	69
Sep 2017	35	60	1	96
Oct 2017	28	39	1	68
Nov 2017	75	54	1	130
Dec 2017	27	31	1	59
Jan 2018	44	33	2	79
Feb 2018	29	44	2	75
Mar 2018	30	39	1	70
Apr 2018	31	37	0	68
May 2018	28	39	2	69
Jun 2018	20	30	0	50
Jul 2018	23	13	0	36
Aug 2018	34	34	0	68
Sep 2018	36	32	0	68
Oct 2018	17	42	1	60
Nov 2018	29	51	1	81
Dec 2018	25	29	1	55
Jan 2019	15	20	1	36
Feb 2019	16	36	0	52
Mar 2019	22	29	0	51
Apr 2019	28	14	0	42
May 2019	31	25	2	58
Jun 2019	24	12	0	36
Jul 2019	13	20	2	35
Aug 2019	15	30	0	45
Sep 2019	11	19	1	31
Oct 2019	14	31	2	47
Nov 2019	20	28	0	48
Dec 2019	11	30	1	42
Jan 2020	14	11	0	25
Feb 2020	10	28	1	39
Mar 2020	10	14	0	24
Apr 2020	15	28	1	44
May 2020	10	26	0	36
Jun 2020	24	24	0	48
Jul 2020	34	16	4	54
Aug 2020	18	19	4	41
Sep 2020	15	5	3	23
Oct 2020	16	10	0	26
Nov 2020	8	16	1	25
Dec 2020	19	16	1	36
Jan 2021	27	13	0	40
Feb 2021	24	15	0	39
Mar 2021	32	21	3	56
Apr 2021	28	19	1	48
May 2021	18	16	1	35
Jun 2021	29	25	0	54
Jul 2021	27	14	1	42
Aug 2021	29	21	0	50
Sep 2021	29	16	0	45
Oct 2021	35	48	1	84
Nov 2021	40	40	1	81
Dec 2021	32	25	2	59
Jan 2022	40	22	1	63
Feb 2022	43	27	4	74
Mar 2022	39	21	2	62
Apr 2022	50	27	4	81
May 2022	48	17	3	68
Jun 2022	36	9	2	47
Jul 2022	20	4	1	25
Aug 2022	28	18	0	46
Sep 2022	18	16	1	35
Oct 2022	18	10	2	30
Nov 2022	36	18	2	56
Dec 2022	34	10	1	45
Jan 2023	52	21	1	74
Feb 2023	50	15	2	67
Mar 2023	78	60	9	147
Apr 2023	45	53	1	99
May 2023	53	20	1	74
Jun 2023	60	14	1	75
Jul 2023	60	22	1	83
Aug 2023	59	19	4	82
Sep 2023	98	23	1	122
Oct 2023	119	36	3	158
Nov 2023	71	17	0	88
Dec 2023	65	30	6	101
Jan 2024	67	26	0	93
Feb 2024	55	25	0	80
Mar 2024	79	39	3	121
Apr 2024	78	25	3	106
May 2024	63	26	1	90
Jun 2024	78	26	2	106
Jul 2024	32	20	0	52
Aug 2024	54	22	4	80
Sep 2024	37	31	0	68
Oct 2024	71	37	2	110
Nov 2024	56	19	3	78
Dec 2024	42	30	4	76
Jan 2025	36	29	2	67
Feb 2025	67	28	0	95
Mar 2025	67	28	3	98
Apr 2025	52	19	2	73
May 2025	66	18	0	84
Jun 2025	89	18	1	108
Jul 2025	55	29	1	85
Aug 2025	68	26	2	96
Sep 2025	76	17	3	96
Oct 2025	47	28	1	76
Nov 2025	67	34	5	106
Dec 2025	0

Latest update: 02 Dec 2025

Short summary

The SO₂ concentrations and NO_x emissions over China derived from satellite observations are compared with the national fossil fuel consumption and air quality regulations. It is shown that not only NO₂ concentrations but also NO_x emissions in all Chinese provinces decreased in the last 2 years. We conclude that without the air quality regulations the SO₂ concentrations would be about 2.5 times higher and the NO₂ concentrations would be at least 25 % higher than they are today in China.