Exploring spatiotemporal dynamics, seasonality, and time-of-day trends of PM2.5 pollution with a low-cost sensor network: Insights from classic and spatially explicit Markov chains

Fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) is a major health and environmental concern, with significant spatiotemporal dynamics in urban areas. Low-cost air quality sensor (LCS) networks offer a paradigm-changing opportunity to acquire high spatiotemporal resolution data, revealing the urban pollution landscape with sufficient detail for effective policymaking and health assessment. This study advances geospatial air quality research by using classic and spatial Markov chains to analyze the seasonality and intra-daily variations of PM_2.5 using LCS data. Results highlight distinctive PM_2.5 seasonality, with the “Good” state predominating in summer and being least common in winter. Midday is the peak period for the “Good” state, while mornings and nights have poorer conditions, suggesting a need for stricter pollution control during evening traffic rush hours. Notably, the impact of temporal scale on spatial Markov analysis is substantial, showing a broader range of air pollution states, increased stability, and reduced variation between time intervals compared to daily assessments. Site-level analysis reveals that rural sites are more likely to maintain “Good” state and less likely to transition out of it. Overall, this study highlights the effectiveness of high spatiotemporal resolution data and demonstrates the capacity of Markov chains to reveal nuances in phenomena such as air pollution.