Objectives To analyze the air quality status and the characteristics of air pollution in the city of Urumqi, so as to provide references for decision-making and for further researches about the effect of air pollution on human health.

Methods Monitored data of main air pollutants in Urumqi were analyzed statistically by the method of Daniel trend test using the software of SPSS 18.0.

Results In more and more days in recent years, the air quality in Urumqi has reached the national GradeⅡ standard and the number of days that undergone heavy air pollution has deceased. The annual average concentration of PM₁₀ and PM₁₀ has decreased as a whole, although the air quality was still exceeding the national standard. The characteristics of air pollution in heating seasons were in a coal smoke pollution type, and main air pollutants were all higher than the air quality standards. The air pollutants in the non-heating season were more influenced by PM₁₀ and NO₂, but the degree of air quality was higher than the national Grade Ⅱ standard.

Conclusions The air quality keeps stable as a whole in Urumqi, and the main pollutants present a trend of seasonal variation. Enhancing a comprehensive environmental management of air pollutions, especially in the winter season is proposed.