Air Pollution Remains in Urumqi for the Aeolian Dusts from Sandy Deserts

Airborne dust has been a notable atmospheric feature of China since ancient times. It plays an important role in air pollution and significantly influences the air quality. Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, has seriously suffered from air pollution in recent decades.

Understanding the impacts of ambient TSP and dustfall on oasis atmosphere is important to improve the urban air quality. Basing on data from environmental monitoring stations and meteorological data from 1986 to 2012, ZHANG Xiaoxiao et al. investigated the changes of ambient TSP and dustfall as well as their effects on the atmosphere in Urumqi.

During the study period, both of the annual average TSP concentration and dustfall intensity decreased for the reasons of the 'Blue Sky' project sponsored by the local government and the low frequency of dust storms. From 1986 to 2012, the annual average TSP concentration was 422.9 μg/m³, while the average annual dustfall intensity amounted to 259 t/(km²•a). The result also showed that the main source of air pollution in Urumqi was TSP, and TSP concentrations were higher in spring and winter than in summer and autumn. In Urumqi with semi-arid climate, precipitation only plays a limited role in removing the airborne particles. Although the atmospheric environment of Urumqi with regard to dust pollution has been improved in recent years, the air pollution would remain due to the aeolian dust particles from the Taklamakan Desert and the Gurbantunggut Desert.

The findings of the study can support a reference for improving the air quality of Urumqi. The study was published in Journal of Arid Land  in December 2014.