Characteristics and Sources of Particulate Matter During a Period of Improving Air Quality in Urban Shanghai (2016–2020)

Following the implementation of the Shanghai Clean Air Act, this study investigates the evolution of air pollution in central Shanghai (Putuo District) by analyzing continuous monitoring data (2016–2020) and chemical speciation of particulate matter (2017–2018). The results confirm a transition toward a “low exceedance rate and low background concentration” regime. However, short-term exceedance episodes persist, generally occurring in winter and spring, with significantly amplified diurnal variations on exceedance days. Distinct patterns emerged between PM fractions: PM10 exceedances were characterized by a single morning peak linked to traffic-induced coarse particles, while PM2.5 exceedances showed synchronized diurnal peaks with NO2, suggesting a stronger contribution from vehicle exhaust. Source apportionment revealed that mineral components (21.61%) and organic matter (OM, 21.02%) dominated in PM10, implicating construction and road dust. In contrast, PM2.5 was primarily composed of OM (26.73%) and secondary inorganic ions (dominated by nitrate), highlighting the greater importance of secondary formation. The findings underscore that sustained PM2.5 mitigation requires targeted control of gasoline vehicle emissions and gaseous precursors.