Interdecadal changes of summer aerosol pollution in the Yangtze River Basin of China, the relative influence of meteorological conditions and the relation to climate change.

•The aerosol pollution was heavier in the M-LYR during the weak monsoon years and opposite in the strong monsoon years.•The interdecadal changes in meteorological conditions and their associated aerosol pollution have experienced four periods since the 1960s.•Among later three pollution increased periods, about 51%, 25% and 60% of the aerosol pollution change comes from the contribution of worsening weather conditions, which are found to be greatly affected by changes of EASM. Worsening weather conditions contributed 51%, 25%, and 60% respectively in the later three periods.