Articles | Volume 25, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16983-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-25-16983-2025
Research article
 | 
27 Nov 2025
Research article |  | 27 Nov 2025

Unexpectedly persistent PM2.5 pollution in the Pearl River Delta, South China, in the 2015–2017 cold seasons: the dominant role of meteorological changes during the El Niño-to-La Niña transition over emission reduction

Kun Qu, Xuesong Wang, Yu Yan, Xipeng Jin, Ling-Yan He, Xiao-Feng Huang, Xuhui Cai, Jin Shen, Zimu Peng, Teng Xiao, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Maria Kanakidou, Guy P. Brasseur, Nikos Daskalakis, Limin Zeng, and Yuanhang Zhang

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Cited articles

An, X., Wang, F., Sheng, L., and Li, C.: Pattern of wintertime southern rainfall and northern pollution over eastern China: The role of the strong eastern Pacific El Niño, J. Clim., 35, 7259–7273, https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-21-0662.1, 2022. 
Apte, J.S., Brauer, M., Cohen, A.J., Ezzati, M., and Arden, C.: Ambient PM2.5 reduces global and regional life expectancy, Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett., 5, 546–551, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.estlett.8b00360, 2018. 
Bae, M., Kim, B.-U., Kim, H.C., Kim, J., and Kim, S.: Role of emissions and meteorology in the recent PM2.5 changes in China and South Korea from 2015 to 2018, Environ. Pollut., 270, 116233, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.116233, 2021. 
Carter, W. P. L.: Development of the SAPRC-07 chemical mechanism, Atmos. Environ., 44, 5324–5335, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2010.01.026, 2010. 
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Persistent cold-season PM2.5 pollution in a South China region during 2015–2017 was studied to assess the roles of drastic meteorological and emission changes. We found that meteorological variations, induced by a transition from El Niño to La Niña, were the main cause of persistent pollution, as stronger northerly winds enhanced pollutant transport into the region. In contrast, the effect of rapid emission reductions was limited. Recommendations for air quality improvement were also proposed.
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