Rapid urbanization and industrialization process have caused a series of atmospheric pollution problems, and it's necessary to explore the spatio-temporal distributions of atmospheric pollution at macro scale. Landscape ecology focuses on landscape pattern and process coupling. The "source-sink" theory of landscape ecology can be applied to analyze the source and sink effects of atmospheric pollutants. Introducing the theory and method of landscape ecology to air pollution research has become an effective way to solve the problem on the tradeoff between current development and atmospheric pollution. From the perspective of landscape ecology, the relationships between landscape and source and sink of atmospheric pollutants were identified. The quantitative effects of landscape pattern on atmospheric pollution were also reviewed. We found that the current landscape pattern index should be improved to characterize the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of atmospheric pollution, and the lack of high-quality spatio-temporal air pollutants data limited coupling analysis of landscape pattern and the atmospheric pollution process. Expanding the application of landscape "source-sink" theory, quantitatively analyzing source and sink effects of atmospheric pollutants, and developing remote sensing techniques to characterize atmospheric pollutants distribution pattern would provide important support for regional landscape planning. Strengthening the approach of landscape ecology analysis in air pollution research will extend the landscape ecology system on pattern and process coupling and will provide scientific supports for sustainable management of landscape.