A complexity view of atmospheric particulate matter concentration

Abstract

We studied the distribution of the annual PM2.5 concentrations of countries and territories as reported by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the last decade using self-reported data from governments and other contributing institutions. The distributions follow various regimes corresponding to the low, intermediate, and high PM2.5 concentrations. The intermediate regime is fitted with a power-law with scaling exponent close to 2.44 and explained from a complexity perspective using a truncated exponential growth model with random truncation growth rates. The self-organization resulting from the interplay between natural and human-induced factors in the atmosphere is deemed to persist despite the gradual evolution of the actual statistical manifestations.