In order to provide scientific support to policy makers in the regulation of PM2.5 pollution in China, it is important to accurately assess the current status, spatiotemporal characteristics and regionalization data for this air pollutant. An analysis of the pollution status of PM2.5 was conducted using daily averaged mass concentration data recorded in 74 cities in 2013 and 161 cities in 2014. The rotated empirical orthogonal function (REOF) method was applied to analyze this data. Results showed that the average annual PM2.5 concentration in urban areas of China is 62.2±21.5 µg/m3, and that the distribution is spatially heterogeneous. The North China Plain, middle and lower Yangtze River Plain, Si Chuan Basin and Guanzhong Plain had relatively high annual PM2.5 concentrations compared with the southeast coastal region, the Tibetan Plateau and the Yungui Plateau. PM2.5 mass concentrations tended to be higher in winter than in summer, however, the data for many cities showed a small peak in concentrations from May to July. An analysis of the spatial correlation of PM2.5 indicated a significant influence of topographic conditions. A lower correlation was observed where terrain features varied greatly. Based on the results of the REOF analysis and topographic characteristics, ten regions were identified in mid-eastern China, which could be considered as basic pollution prevention divisions for PM2.5; these include the North China Plain region, Pearl River Delta region, Jianghuai Plain region, middle Yangtze River Plain region, Northeast Plain region, Jiangnan coastal region, Si chuan Basin region, Qiantao Plain region, Guanzhong-Central Plain region and Yungui Plateau region. Seasonal variations in the regionalization data were observed, especially for the North China Plain and Pearl River Delta regions. Among the ten regions identified in this study, the North China Plain, Guanzhong-Central Plain, middle Yangtze River Plain and Jianghuai Plain had relatively high PM2.5 mass concentrations in comparison with the others. Therefore, these regions should be considered as the key regions to target in developing PM2.5 pollution prevention strategies. This study improves the present understanding of the spatial distribution, seasonal changes and regional status of PM2.5 pollution in China and helps establish possible control strategies for the reduction of this air pollutant.
