Spatial–Temporal Variations of Air Pollutants and Its Relationship with Meteorological Factors During 2014 to 2022 in Jiangsu Province, China

This study analyzes the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of pollutants and the influence of meteorological factors using data from 13 cities in Jiangsu Province from 2014 to 2022. The results showed that, from 2014 to 2022, the average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO in Jiangsu were high in the north and low in the south, while the NO2 concentration was low in the north and high in the south, all of which decreased over time. O3 concentration was higher on the eastern coast and increased with the year. PM2.5 pollution days in northern Jiangsu were higher in autumn and winter. O3 pollution days in southern Jiangsu were higher in spring, summer, and autumn. There was a significant positive correlation between O3 and temperature in spring and autumn, and it was weaker in summer. Relative humidity (RH) in winter was positively correlated with PM2.5 and RH showed a significant negative correlation with PM10 in spring, summer, and autumn. The scavenging effect of precipitation on PM10 concentration was the most pronounced, followed by PM2.5. Precipitation has the weakest scavenging effect on CO, only reducing its concentration by an average of 13%. Precipitation also exhibits a significant scavenging effect on O3. The decrease in O3 was the smallest on heavy rain days (14.7%) and the largest on severe, torrential rain days (25.9%).