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Silva ACT, Branco PTBS, Sousa SIV. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:1950. [PMID: 35206139 PMCID: PMC8871899 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19041950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, several governments imposed severe restrictions on socio-economic activities, putting most of the world population into a general lockdown in March 2020. Although scattered, studies on this topic worldwide have rapidly emerged in the literature. Hence, this systematic review aimed to identify and discuss the scientifically validated literature that evaluated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on air quality. Thus, a total of 114 studies that quantified the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality through monitoring were selected from three databases. The most evaluated countries were India and China; all the studies intended to evaluate the impact of the pandemic on air quality, mainly concerning PM10, PM2.5, NO2, O3, CO, and SO2. Most of them focused on the 1st lockdown, comparing with the pre- and post-lockdown periods and usually in urban areas. Many studies conducted a descriptive analysis, while others complemented it with more advanced statistical analysis. Although using different methodologies, some studies reported a temporary air quality improvement during the lockdown. More studies are still needed, comparing different lockdown and lifting periods and, in other areas, for a definition of better-targeted policies to reduce air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Catarina T. Silva
- LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.T.S.); (P.T.B.S.B.)
- ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Pedro T. B. S. Branco
- LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.T.S.); (P.T.B.S.B.)
- ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
| | - Sofia I. V. Sousa
- LEPABE—Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal; (A.C.T.S.); (P.T.B.S.B.)
- ALiCE—Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal
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Bhatti UA, Zeeshan Z, Nizamani MM, Bazai S, Yu Z, Yuan L. Assessing the change of ambient air quality patterns in Jiangsu Province of China pre-to post-COVID-19. CHEMOSPHERE 2022; 288:132569. [PMID: 34655644 PMCID: PMC8514250 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in early 2020, to effectively prevent the spread of the disease, major cities across China suspended work and production. While the rest of the world struggles to control COVID-19, China has managed to control the pandemic rapidly and effectively with strong lockdown policies. This study investigates the change in air pollution (focusing on the air quality index (AQI), six ambient air pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm (PM10) and ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5)) patterns for three periods: pre-COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2019), active COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2020) and post-COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2021) in the Jiangsu province of China. Our findings reveal that the change in air pollution from pre-COVID to active COVID was greater than in previous years due to the government's lockdown policies. Post-COVID, air pollutant concentration is increasing. Mean change PM2.5 from pre-COVID to active COVID decreased by 18%; post-COVID it has only decreased by 2%. PM10 decreased by 19% from pre-COVID to active COVID, but post-COVID pollutant concentration has seen a 23% increase. Air pollutants show a positive correlation with COVID-19 cases among which PM2.5, PM10 and NO2 show a strong correlation during active COVID-19 cases. Metrological factors such as minimum temperature, average temperature and humidity show a positive correlation with COVID-19 cases while maximum temperature, wind speed and air pressure show no strong positive correlation. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had numerous negative effects on human health and the global economy, the reduction in air pollution and significant improvement in ambient air quality likely had substantial short-term health benefits; the government must implement policies to control post-COVID environmental issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uzair Aslam Bhatti
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, China
| | | | - Mir Muhammad Nizamani
- Key Laboratory of Tropical Biological Resources of Ministry of Education, School of Life and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
| | - Sibghatullah Bazai
- School of Natural and Computational Sciences, Massey University, Auckland, 0632, New Zealand; Department of Computer Engineering, BUITEMS, Quetta 87300, Pakistan
| | - Zhaoyuan Yu
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, China
| | - Linwang Yuan
- School of Geography, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China; Key Laboratory of Virtual Geographic Environment, Ministry of Education, Nanjing Normal University, No. 1 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing, China.
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Mosbahi N, Pezy JP, Dauvin JC, Neifar L. COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown: An Excellent Opportunity to Study the Effects of Trawling Disturbance on Macrobenthic Fauna in the Shallow Waters of the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia, Central Mediterranean Sea). INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031282. [PMID: 35162301 PMCID: PMC8834931 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 01/16/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study describes for the first time in the central Mediterranean Sea the effects of bottom trawling on macrobenthic fauna in tidal channels of the Kneiss Islands in the Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia. Following a BACI protocol, two control stations (protected by artificial reefs) and two trawled stations (impacted stations) were sampled during a period with the absence of bottom trawling activity (the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period from March to May 2020) and during a trawled period. Although bottom trawling had no impact on sediment composition, this anthropogenic activity reduced the concentration of dissolved oxygen and had a noticeable effect on water column turbidity. The absence of trawling led to a significant increase in biomass, number of species, and abundance of total macrofauna. This illustrated the negative effect of trawling activity in shallow waters and the high resilience of macrobenthic communities of the tidal ecosystem of the Kneiss Islands. In the future, it would be very important to control the use of this destructive fishing gear due to its negative impact on the marine habitat and macrofauna, which represents essential prey for fishes and birds living in this protected area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nawfel Mosbahi
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité Marine et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, Sfax 3038, Tunisia;
- Correspondence: or
| | - Jean-Philippe Pezy
- Laboratoire Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Normandie University, UNICAEN, CNRS, UMR 6143 M2C, 24 Rue des Tilleuls, 14000 Caen, France; (J.-P.P.); (J.-C.D.)
| | - Jean-Claude Dauvin
- Laboratoire Morphodynamique Continentale et Côtière, Normandie University, UNICAEN, CNRS, UMR 6143 M2C, 24 Rue des Tilleuls, 14000 Caen, France; (J.-P.P.); (J.-C.D.)
| | - Lassad Neifar
- Laboratoire de Biodiversité Marine et Environnement, Faculté des Sciences de Sfax, Université de Sfax, BP 1171, Sfax 3038, Tunisia;
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Assessment of COVID-19 Lockdown Impact on the Air Quality in Eastern Spain: PM and BTX in Urban, Suburban and Rural Sites Exposed to Different Emissions. ATMOSPHERE 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos13010097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic spread globally, and severe measures to control it were implemented. This study investigates the impact of the lockdown on the air quality of three provinces in the Valencia region, eastern Spain, in the years 2015–2020, focusing on particulate matter (PM). A thorough statistical analysis using different approaches is conducted. Hourly patterns are also assessed. In addition, the role of meteorological parameters on PM is explored. The results indicate an overall PM10 reduction of 16.5% when comparing the lockdown in 2020 and the 2015–2019 period, while PM2.5 increased by 3.1%. As expected, urban zones experienced higher reductions than suburban zones, which experienced a PM concentration increase. The impact of the drastic drops of benzene, toluene and xylene (77.4%, 58.0% and 61.8%, respectively) on the PM values observed in urban sites is discussed. Our study provides insights on the effect of activity changes over a wide region covering a variety of air quality stations, urban, suburban and rural, and different emission types. The results of this work are a valuable reference and suggest the need for considering different factors when establishing scientific air pollution control strategies.
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Mahato S, Pal S. Revisiting air quality during lockdown persuaded by second surge of COVID-19 of megacity Delhi, India. URBAN CLIMATE 2022; 41:101082. [PMID: 35024327 PMCID: PMC8733282 DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.101082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 12/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Is the impact of city-scale lockdown in response to 2nd surge of COVID-19, behavioural changes in people owing to yearlong cohabitation with COVID-19, and partial vaccination on air quality different from the impact of nationwide lockdown during COVID-19's 1st surge in March 2020? Targeting this objective, the present work has selected four phases pre-lockdown and lockdown of 1st and 2nd cycles of lockdown taking average air quality index (NAQI) from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The results clearly show that both the nationwide lockdown and the city-scale restriction are responsible for improving air quality in India's megacity Delhi, but the rate of improvement was higher (39%) during the first cycle of lockdown (nationwide) than during the second cycle of lockdown (city-scale). During city-scale lockdown, the disparity in NAQI between the core and the periphery is obvious. Due to the effect of economic activities surrounding Delhi, around 10 km of the city's interior has experienced high NAQI. The reason for the lower NAQI improvement during the second lockdown cycle is likely due to relief from initial fear following a year of cohabitation with COVID-19, partial vaccination, and partial relaxation in industrial sectors to avoid the economic hardships experienced during the first lockdown cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanta Mahato
- Special Centre for Disaster Research, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India
| | - Swades Pal
- Department of Geography, University of Gour Banga, West Bengal, India
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Dhital NB, Wang LC, Yang HH, Lee CH, Shih WH, Wu CS. Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public bus occupancy and real-world tailpipe emissions of gaseous pollutants per passenger kilometer traveled. SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH 2022; 32:35. [PMCID: PMC9361239 DOI: 10.1186/s42834-022-00146-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Public buses typically have less emission per passenger kilometer traveled (PKT) than private cars and motorcycles, and the emission benefit of public buses increases with ridership. However, the drop in public bus usage during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic could lead to an increase in air pollutant emissions per PKT, making the emission benefits of public buses questionable. This study investigated the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on public bus occupancy rates in Taichung City, Taiwan, and also compared real-world emissions per PKT of carbon monoxide (CO), total hydrocarbons (THC), nitric oxide (NO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) of a public bus before and during the pandemic. Mean bus occupancy rates were 11–25% on different bus routes before the pandemic, indicating that only a fourth or less of the bus passenger capacity was utilized. During the pandemic, mean bus occupancy rates dropped to 4–15%. Moreover, the public bus was less polluting based on CO and THC emissions than the car and motorcycle, even at the low passenger occupancy rates observed during the pandemic. However, NO and CO2 emissions per PKT of the bus were remarkably higher during the pandemic than those of the car and motorcycle. Furthermore, we estimated the break-even passenger occupancy rate for buses as 15%, which was the minimum threshold occupancy rate below which the buses would be more polluting than cars and motorcycles in terms of CO, THC, and CO2 emissions per PKT. Our findings will help transport management authorities and policymakers to optimize bus route designs and frequencies and implement anti-pandemic measures to maximize the environmental benefits of the public bus transit systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Narayan Babu Dhital
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, 413310 Taiwan
- Department of Environmental Science, Patan Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University, Patandhoka, 44700 Nepal
| | - Lin-Chi Wang
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320314 Taiwan
- Center for Environmental Risk Management, Chung Yuan Christian University, Taoyuan City, 320314 Taiwan
| | - Hsi-Hsien Yang
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, 413310 Taiwan
| | - Che-Hsuan Lee
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, 413310 Taiwan
| | - Wei-Hung Shih
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, 413310 Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Shiu Wu
- Department of Environmental Engineering and Management, Chaoyang University of Technology, Taichung City, 413310 Taiwan
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Skorokhod AI, Rakitin VS, Kirillova NS. Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic Preventing Measures and Meteorological Conditions on the Atmospheric Air Composition in Moscow in 2020. RUSSIAN METEOROLOGY AND HYDROLOGY 2022; 47:183-190. [PMCID: PMC9243816 DOI: 10.3103/s1068373922030037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the atmospheric composition during different periods of 2020 in Moscow which were associated with the COVID-19 pandemic preventing measures as well as corresponding pollutant emission reduction, are investigated. Surface concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), aerosol fraction (PM10), and meteorological parameters during different periods of 2020 were compared with similar data for the previous five years. The analysis of ground-based measurements, as well as of high-resolution satellite distributions of CO and NO2 indicated that the concentration of major pollutants and its spatial distribution in the Moscow region were significantly affected by both restrictive measures and abnormal meteorological conditions in 2020.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. I. Skorokhod
- Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
| | - V. S. Rakitin
- Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
| | - N. S. Kirillova
- Obukhov Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, 119017 Moscow, Russia
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García-Dalmau M, Udina M, Bech J, Sola Y, Montolio J, Jaén C. Pollutant Concentration Changes During the COVID-19 Lockdown in Barcelona and Surrounding Regions: Modification of Diurnal Cycles and Limited Role of Meteorological Conditions. BOUNDARY-LAYER METEOROLOGY 2021; 183:273-294. [PMID: 34975160 PMCID: PMC8711231 DOI: 10.1007/s10546-021-00679-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
One of the consequences of the COVID-19 lockdowns has been the modification of the air quality in many cities around the world. This study focuses on the variations in pollutant concentrations and how important meteorological conditions were for those variations in Barcelona and the surrounding area during the 2020 lockdown. Boundary-layer height, wind speed, and precipitation were compared between mid-March and April 2016-2019 (pre-lockdown) and the same period in 2020 (during lockdown). The results show the limited influence of meteorological factors on horizontal and vertical dispersion conditions. Compared with the pre-lockdown period, during lockdown the boundary-layer height slightly increased by between 5% and 9%, mean wind speed was very similar, and the fraction of days with rainfall increased only marginally, from 0.33 to 0.34, even though April 2020 was extremely wet in the study area. Variations in nitrogen dioxide ( NO 2 ), particulate matter with a diameter less than 10 μ m (PM10), and ozone ( O 3 ) concentrations over a 10-year period showed a 66% reduction in NO 2 , 37% reduction in PM10, and 27% increase in O 3 at a traffic station in Barcelona. The differences in the daily concentration cycle between weekends and weekdays were heavily smoothed for all pollutants considered. The afternoon NO 2 peak at the traffic station was suppressed compared with the average daily cycle. The analysis of ozone was extended to the regional scale, revealing lower concentrations at rural sites and higher ones in urban zones, especially in Barcelona and the surrounding area. The results presented not only complement previous air quality COVID-19 lockdown studies but also provide insights into the effects of road-traffic reduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel García-Dalmau
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mireia Udina
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Bech
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yolanda Sola
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Joan Montolio
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- DT Catalonia, AEMET, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Jaén
- Departament de Física Aplicada–Meteorologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEACSIC), Barcelona, Spain
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Ceballos-Santos S, González-Pardo J, Carslaw DC, Santurtún A, Santibáñez M, Fernández-Olmo I. Meteorological Normalisation Using Boosted Regression Trees to Estimate the Impact of COVID-19 Restrictions on Air Quality Levels. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:13347. [PMID: 34948956 PMCID: PMC8701894 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182413347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The global COVID-19 pandemic that began in late December 2019 led to unprecedented lockdowns worldwide, providing a unique opportunity to investigate in detail the impacts of restricted anthropogenic emissions on air quality. A wide range of strategies and approaches exist to achieve this. In this paper, we use the "deweather" R package, based on Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) models, first to remove the influences of meteorology and emission trend patterns from NO, NO2, PM10 and O3 data series, and then to calculate the relative changes in air pollutant levels in 2020 with respect to the previous seven years (2013-2019). Data from a northern Spanish region, Cantabria, with all types of monitoring stations (traffic, urban background, industrial and rural) were used, dividing the calendar year into eight periods according to the intensity of government restrictions. The results showed mean reductions in the lockdown period above -50% for NOx, around -10% for PM10 and below -5% for O3. Small differences were found between the relative changes obtained from normalised data with respect to those from observations. These results highlight the importance of developing an integrated policy to reduce anthropogenic emissions and the need to move towards sustainable mobility to ensure safer air quality levels, as pre-existing concentrations in some cases exceed the safe threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Ceballos-Santos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain; (J.G.-P.); (I.F.-O.)
| | - Jaime González-Pardo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain; (J.G.-P.); (I.F.-O.)
| | - David C. Carslaw
- Wolfson Atmospheric Chemistry Laboratories, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK;
- Ricardo Energy & Environment, Didcot OX11 0QR, UK
| | - Ana Santurtún
- Unit of Legal Medicine, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander, Spain;
| | - Miguel Santibáñez
- Global Health Research Group, Department of Nursing, University of Cantabria, 39008 Santander, Spain;
- Research Nursing Group, IDIVAL, Calle Cardenal Herrera Oria s/n, 39011 Santander, Spain
| | - Ignacio Fernández-Olmo
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Cantabria, 39005 Santander, Spain; (J.G.-P.); (I.F.-O.)
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Sarmadi M, Rahimi S, Rezaei M, Sanaei D, Dianatinasab M. Air quality index variation before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive study on 87 capital, industrial and polluted cities of the world. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:134. [PMID: 34900511 PMCID: PMC8645297 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-021-00575-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic provided an opportunity for the environment to reduce ambient pollution despite the economic, social and health disruption to the world. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in the air quality indexes (AQI) in industrial, densely populated and capital cities in different countries of the world before and after 2020. In this ecological study, we used AQI obtained from the free available databases such as the World Air Quality Index (WAQI). Bivariate correlation analysis was used to explore the correlations between meteorological and AQI variables. Mean differences (standard deviation: SD) of AQI parameters of different years were tested using paired-sample t-test or Wilcoxon signed-rank test as appropriate. Multivariable linear regression analysis was conducted to recognize meteorological variables affecting the AQI parameters. RESULTS AQI-PM2.5, AQI-PM10 and AQI-NO2 changes were significantly higher before and after 2020, simultaneously with COVID-19 restrictions in different cities of the world. The overall changes of AQI-PM2.5, AQI-PM10 and AQI-NO2 in 2020 were - 7.36%, - 17.52% and - 20.54% compared to 2019. On the other hand, these results became reversed in 2021 (+ 4.25%, + 9.08% and + 7.48%). In general, the temperature and relative humidity were inversely correlated with AQI-PM2.5, AQI-PM10 and AQI-NO2. Also, after adjusting for other meteorological factors, the relative humidity was inversely associated with AQI-PM2.5, AQI-PM10 and AQI-NO2 (β = - 1.55, β = - 0.88 and β = - 0.10, P < 0.01, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that air quality generally improved for all pollutants except carbon monoxide and ozone in 2020; however, changes in 2021 have been reversed, which may be due to the reduction of some countries' restrictions. Although this quality improvement was temporary, it is an important result for planning to control environmental pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Sarmadi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Sajjad Rahimi
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
- Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Mina Rezaei
- Health Sciences Research Center, Torbat Heydariyeh University of Medical Sciences, Torbat Heydariyeh, Iran
| | - Daryoush Sanaei
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, Faculty of Public Health and Safety, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mostafa Dianatinasab
- Department of Complex Genetics and Epidemiology, School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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Ravindra K, Singh T, Vardhan S, Shrivastava A, Singh S, Kumar P, Mor S. COVID-19 pandemic: What can we learn for better air quality and human health? J Infect Public Health 2021; 15:187-198. [PMID: 34979337 PMCID: PMC8642828 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiph.2021.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 lockdown resulted in improved air quality in many cities across the world. With the objective of what could be the new learning from the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns for better air quality and human health, a critical synthesis of the available evidence concerning air pollution reduction, the population at risk and natural versus anthropogenic emissions was conducted. Can the new societal norms adopted during pandemics, such as the use of face cover, awareness regarding respiratory hand hygiene, and physical distancing, help in reducing disease burden in the future? The use of masks will be more socially acceptable during the high air pollution episodes in lower and middle-income countries, which could help to reduce air pollution exposure. Although post-pandemic, some air pollution reduction strategies may be affected, such as car-pooling and the use of mass transit systems for commuting to avoid exposure to airborne infections like coronavirus. However, promoting non-motorized modes of transportation such as cycling and walking within cities as currently being enabled in Europe and other countries could overshadow such losses. This demand focus on increasing walkability in a town for all ages and populations, including for a differently-abled community. The study highlighted that for better health and sustainability there. is also a need to promote other measures such as work-from-home, technological infrastructure, the extension of smart cities, and the use of information technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaiwal Ravindra
- Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, 160012, India.
| | - Tanbir Singh
- Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India
| | - Shikha Vardhan
- Centre for Environmental & Occupational Health, Climate Change & Health, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Aakash Shrivastava
- Centre for Environmental & Occupational Health, Climate Change & Health, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Sujeet Singh
- Centre for Environmental & Occupational Health, Climate Change & Health, National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi, 110054, India
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Suman Mor
- Department of Environment Studies, Panjab University, Chandigarh, 160014, India.
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von Schneidemesser E, Sibiya B, Caseiro A, Butler T, Lawrence MG, Leitao J, Lupascu A, Salvador P. Learning from the COVID-19 lockdown in berlin: Observations and modelling to support understanding policies to reduce NO 2. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT: X 2021; 12:100122. [PMID: 34723169 PMCID: PMC8545717 DOI: 10.1016/j.aeaoa.2021.100122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Urban air pollution is a substantial threat to human health. Traffic emissions remain a large contributor to air pollution in urban areas. The mobility restrictions put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic provided a large-scale real-world experiment that allows for the evaluation of changes in traffic emissions and the corresponding changes in air quality. Here we use observational data, as well as modelling, to analyse changes in nitrogen dioxide, ozone, and particulate matter resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions at the height of the lockdown period in Spring of 2020. Accounting for the influence of meteorology on air quality, we found that reduction of ca. 30-50 % in traffic counts, dominated by changes in passenger cars, corresponded to reductions in median observed nitrogen dioxide concentrations of ca. 40 % (traffic and urban background locations) and a ca. 22 % increase in ozone (urban background locations) during weekdays. Lesser reductions in nitrogen dioxide concentrations were observed at urban background stations at weekends, and no change in ozone was observed. The modelled reductions in median nitrogen dioxide at urban background locations were smaller than the observed reductions and the change was not significant. The model results showed no significant change in ozone on weekdays or weekends. The lack of a simulated weekday/weekend effect is consistent with previous work suggesting that NOx emissions from traffic could be significantly underestimated in European cities by models. These results indicate the potential for improvements in air quality due to policies for reducing traffic, along with the scale of reductions that would be needed to result in meaningful changes in air quality if a transition to sustainable mobility is to be seriously considered. They also confirm once more the highly relevant role of traffic for air quality in urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika von Schneidemesser
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Bheki Sibiya
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
- Institut für Meteorologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Alexandre Caseiro
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Tim Butler
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
- Institut für Meteorologie, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
| | - Mark G Lawrence
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
- Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Joana Leitao
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Aurelia Lupascu
- Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies e.V., Berlinerstrasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Pedro Salvador
- Department of Environment CIEMAT, Avda. Complutense 40, 28040, Madrid, Spain
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63
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Li H, Ariya PA. Black Carbon Particles Physicochemical Real-Time Data Set in a Cold City: Trends of Fall-Winter BC Accumulation and COVID-19. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH. ATMOSPHERES : JGR 2021; 126:e2021JD035265. [PMID: 34926105 PMCID: PMC8667652 DOI: 10.1029/2021jd035265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Black carbon (BC) plays an important role in climate and health sciences. Using the combination of a year real-time BC observation (photoacoustic extinctiometer) and data for PM2.5 and selected co-pollutants, we herein show that annual BC Mass concentration has a bi-modal distribution, in a cold-climate city of Montreal. In addition to the summer peak, a winter BC peak was observed (up to 0.433 μg/m3), lasting over 3 months. A comparative study between two air pollution hotspots, downtown and Montreal international airport indicated that airborne average BC Mass concentration in downtown was 0.344 μg/m3, whereas in the residential areas around Montreal airport BC Mass values were over 400% higher (1.487 μg/m3). During the numerous snowfall events, airborne BC Mass concentration decreased. High-resolution scanning/transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis of the snow samples provided evidence that airborne BC particles or carbon nanomaterials were indeed transferred from polluted air to snow. During the COVID-19 lockdown, the BC concentration and selected co-pollutants, decreased up to 72%, confirming the predominance of anthropogenic activities in BC emission. This first cold-climate BC data set can be essential for more accurate air quality and climate modeling. About one-third of the Earth's land surface receive snow annually, the impact of this study on air quality, health and climate change is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Houjie Li
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Parisa A. Ariya
- Department of ChemistryMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic SciencesMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
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Sustainable Education in the Context of COVID-19: Study of the Social Perception and Well-Being of Students at the Faculty of Engineering in Sibiu, Romania. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su132212805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had global effects on all industries and on people around the world. The COVID-19 pandemic has had repercussions both politically and economically, as well as on society and the individual, i.e., on the human psyche. Although the effects on the human psyche have been highlighted in research, the well-being of the individual in correlation with social perception have not been addressed in this context but in different situations. The review of the relevant literature has also identified a knowledge gap concerning online vs. face-to-face learning, from the perspective of psychological, pedagogical and managerial factors. The present study aims to address the relationship of well-being—social perception—academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic on a group of students from the Faculty of Engineering in Sibiu, Romania. Three types of instruments were used to evaluate the studied characteristics: the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS), the SKS method for generating feedback and the grid for assessing knowledge. The results showed the increase of the three parameters studied, after quarantine. The conclusions of the research are that, despite the greater variation in mood, caused by stress, anxiety and tension, the well-being of the subjects increased and the positive feedback provided increased significantly. The results lead to the formation of a positive self-image of students, which also has an impact on learning outcomes.
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65
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Garg A, Kumar A, Gupta NC. Comprehensive study on impact assessment of lockdown on overall ambient air quality amid COVID-19 in Delhi and its NCR, India. JOURNAL OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS LETTERS 2021; 2:100010. [PMID: 34977841 PMCID: PMC8686542 DOI: 10.1016/j.hazl.2020.100010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Revised: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Indian government announced the complete lockdown from 25 March, 2020 for all outdoor activities across the country due to containment of COVID-19. This study is an attempt to assess the impacts of lockdown on ambient air quality in five cities of Indian National Capital Region including Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad. In this context, the data of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, NOx, NO, NO2, SO2, NH3, SO2, CO, and C6H6) from 36 locations of the study area were analyzed from 1st March to 1st May, 2020. The results showed that PM10 and PM2.5 level decreased upto 55-65 %. NOx and NO have shown maximum reduction (∼ 50-78 %). Similarly, consistent and significant reduction in other air pollutants such as SO2 (∼33 %), CO (∼45 %), NH3 (∼27 %) and C6H6 (∼53 %) has been observed. During lockdown Air Quality Index (AQI) shows improvement as its value significantly decreased (∼ 45 %-68 %). An interesting feature observed that during first week of lockdown O3 decreased but later it increased by ∼19-27%. The study suggests that this pandemic gives lessons for interventions for urban air pollution mitigation in controlling the health impact due to urban air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anchal Garg
- University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector- 16 C, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110078, India
| | - Arvind Kumar
- Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India
| | - N C Gupta
- University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Sector- 16 C, Dwarka, New Delhi, 110078, India
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Slezakova K, Pereira MC. 2020 COVID-19 lockdown and the impacts on air quality with emphasis on urban, suburban and rural zones. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21336. [PMID: 34716393 PMCID: PMC8556251 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99491-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Air quality improvements pollution changes due to COVID-19 restrictions have been reported for many urban developments and large metropolitan areas, but the respective impacts at rural and remote zones are less frequently analysed. This study evaluated air pollution changes across all Portugal (68 stations) considering all urban, suburban and rural zones. PM10, PM2.5, NO2, SO2, ozone was analysed in pre-, during, and post-lockdown period (January–May 2020) and for a comparison also in 2019. NO2 was the most reduced pollutant in 2020, which coincided with decreased traffic. Significant drop (15–71%) of traffic related NO2 was observed specifically during lockdown period, being 55% for the largest and most populated region in country. PM was affected to a lesser degree (with substantial differences found for largely populated areas (Lisbon region ~ 30%; North region, up to 49%); during lockdown traffic-related PM dropped 10–70%. PM10 daily limit was exceeded 50% less in 2020, with 80% of exceedances before lockdown period. SO2 decreased by 35%, due to suspended industrial productions, whereas ozone concentrations slightly (though not significantly) increased (83 vs. 80 µg m–3).
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Affiliation(s)
- Klara Slezakova
- LEPABE, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal.
| | - Maria Carmo Pereira
- LEPABE, Departamento de Engenharia Química, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade do Porto, Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, 4200-465, Porto, Portugal
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Hernandez-Garcia E, Chrysikou E, Kalea AZ. The Interplay between Housing Environmental Attributes and Design Exposures and Psychoneuroimmunology Profile-An Exploratory Review and Analysis Paper in the Cancer Survivors' Mental Health Morbidity Context. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:10891. [PMID: 34682637 PMCID: PMC8536084 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Adult cancer survivors have an increased prevalence of mental health comorbidities and other adverse late-effects interdependent with mental illness outcomes compared with the general population. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) heralds an era of renewed call for actions to identify sustainable modalities to facilitate the constructs of cancer survivorship care and health care delivery through physiological supportive domestic spaces. Building on the concept of therapeutic architecture, psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) indicators-with the central role in low-grade systemic inflammation-are associated with major psychiatric disorders and late effects of post-cancer treatment. Immune disturbances might mediate the effects of environmental determinants on behaviour and mental disorders. Whilst attention is paid to the non-objective measurements for examining the home environmental domains and mental health outcomes, little is gathered about the multidimensional effects on physiological responses. This exploratory review presents a first analysis of how addressing the PNI outcomes serves as a catalyst for therapeutic housing research. We argue the crucial component of housing in supporting the sustainable primary care and public health-based cancer survivorship care model, particularly in the psychopathology context. Ultimately, we illustrate a series of interventions aiming at how housing environmental attributes can trigger PNI profile changes and discuss the potential implications in the non-pharmacological treatment of cancer survivors and patients with mental morbidities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Hernandez-Garcia
- The Bartlett Real Estate Institute, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK;
| | - Evangelia Chrysikou
- The Bartlett Real Estate Institute, The Bartlett School of Sustainable Construction, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK;
- Clinic of Social and Family Medicine, Department of Social Medicine, University of Crete, 700 13 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Anastasia Z. Kalea
- Division of Medicine, University College London, London WC1E 6JF, UK;
- Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London WC1E 6HX, UK
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68
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Pavón-Domínguez P, Plocoste T. Coupled multifractal methods to reveal changes in nitrogen dioxide and tropospheric ozone concentrations during the COVID-19 lockdown. ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 2021; 261:105755. [PMID: 36540717 PMCID: PMC9756894 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Revised: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Due to COVID-19 pandemic, the lockdown effects on air pollution level are undeniable. Several studies around the world have detected an uneven behaviour in tropospheric ozone (O 3) concentrations. In this work, Seville (Spain) is used as example of faced to traffic place in which the nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) is drastically reduced (41%) while O 3 has no significant changes. In order to evaluate the existence of differences in O 3 behaviour that is not detected by statistical procedures, a multifractal approach was used to assess the coupled scale relationship between NO 2 and O 3 during the 2020 lockdown against a period reference (2017-2019). For this purpose, the two main coupled multifractal method were employed: multifractal detrended cross-correlation and joint multifractal analysis. While cross-correlation analysis did not detect differences between the cross-correlated fluctuations of NO 2 and O 3 in the periods analysed, the joint multifractal analysis, based on the partition function and the method of moments, found a loss of variability in O 3 during the lockdown. This leads to a loss of multifractal characteristic of O 3 time series. The drastically reduction of primary pollutants during the lockdown might be the responsible of the tendency to monofractality in O 3 time series. These differences were found for a wide temporal extent ranging from 80 min to ~28 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Pavón-Domínguez
- Graphical Methods, Optimization and Learning (GOAL) TIC-259 Research Group, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Design, Universidad de Cádiz, Avenida de la Universidad de Cádiz, 11519 Puerto Real, Cádiz, Spain
| | - Thomas Plocoste
- Department of Research in Geoscience, KaruSphère SASU, Abymes 97139, Guadeloupe (F.W.I.), France
- Univ Antilles, LaRGE Laboratoire de Recherche en Géosciences et Energies (EA 4539), F-97100 Pointe-à-Pitre, France
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69
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Einarsdóttir K, Swift EM, Zoega H. Changes in obstetric interventions and preterm birth during COVID-19: A nationwide study from Iceland. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand 2021; 100:1924-1930. [PMID: 34255860 PMCID: PMC8444658 DOI: 10.1111/aogs.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Previous evidence has been conflicting regarding the effect of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns on obstetric intervention and preterm birth rates. The literature to date suggests potentially differential underlying mechanisms based on country economic setting. We aimed to study these outcomes in an Icelandic population where uniform lockdown measures were implemented across the country. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included all singleton births (n = 20 680) during 2016-2020 identified from the population-based Icelandic Medical Birth Register. We defined two lockdown periods during March-May and October-December in 2020 according to government implemented nationwide lockdown. We compared monthly rates of cesarean section, induction of labor and preterm birth during lockdown with the same time periods in the 4 previous years (2016-2019) using logit binomial regression adjusted for confounders. RESULTS Our results indicated a reduction in the overall cesarean section rate, which was mainly evident for elective cesarean section, both during the first (adjusted odd ratio [aOR] 0.71, 95% CI 0.51-0.99) and second (aOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.52-0.99) lockdown periods, and not for emergency cesarean section. No change during lockdown was observed in induction of labor. Our results also suggested a reduction in the overall preterm birth rate during the first lockdown (aOR 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.97) and in the months immediately following the lockdown (June-September) (aOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.49-0.89). The reduction during the first lockdown was mainly evident for medically indicated preterm birth (although not statistically significant) and the reduction during June-September was mainly evident for spontaneous preterm birth. CONCLUSIONS This study suggested a reduction in elective cesarean section during COVID-19 lockdown, possibly reflecting changes in prioritization of non-urgent health care during lockdown. We also found a reduction in overall preterm birth during the first lockdown and spontaneous preterm birth following the first lockdown, but further research is needed to shed light on the underlying mechanisms for these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristjana Einarsdóttir
- Center of Public Health SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of IcelandReykjavikIceland
| | - Emma Marie Swift
- Faculty of Nursing/Department of MidwiferyUniversity of IcelandReykjavíkIceland
- Women’s ClinicLandspitali National University Hospital of IcelandReykjavikIceland
| | - Helga Zoega
- Center of Public Health SciencesFaculty of MedicineUniversity of IcelandReykjavikIceland
- Centre for Big Data Research in HealthFaculty of MedicineUniversity of New South Wales SydneySydneyAustralia
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70
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Rathod NB, Kulawik P, Ozogul F, Regenstein JM, Ozogul Y. Biological activity of plant-based carvacrol and thymol and their impact on human health and food quality. Trends Food Sci Technol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tifs.2021.08.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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71
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Mendoza DL, Benney TM, Bares R, Crosman ET. Intra-city variability of fine particulate matter during COVID-19 lockdown: A case study from Park City, Utah. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 201:111471. [PMID: 34102162 PMCID: PMC8178539 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Urban air quality is a growing concern due a range of social, economic, and health impacts. Since the SARS-CoV-19 pandemic began in 2020, governments have produced a range of non-medical interventions (NMIs) (e.g. lockdowns, stay-at-home orders, mask mandates) to prevent the spread of COVID-19. A co-benefit of NMI implementation has been the measurable improvement in air quality in cities around the world. Using the lockdown policy of the COVID-19 pandemic as a natural experiment, we traced the changing emissions patterns produced under the pandemic in a mid-sized, high-altitude city to isolate the effects of human behavior on air pollution. We tracked air pollution over time periods reflecting the Pre-Lockdown, Lockdown, and Reopening stages, using high quality, research grade sensors in both commercial and residential areas to better understand how each setting may be uniquely impacted by pollution downturn events. Based on this approach, we found the commercial area of the city showed a greater decrease in air pollution than residential areas during the lockdown period, while both areas experienced a similar rebound post lockdown. The easing period following the lockdown did not lead to an immediate rebound in human activity and the air pollution increase associated with reopening, took place nearly two months after the lockdown period ended. We hypothesize that differences in heating needs, travel demands, and commercial activity, are responsible for the corresponding observed changes in the spatial distribution of pollutants over the study period. This research has implications for climate policy, low-carbon energy transitions, and may even impact local policy due to changing patterns in human exposure that could lead to important public health outcomes, if left unaddressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel L Mendoza
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E, Room 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; Department of City & Metropolitan Planning, University of Utah, 375 S 1530 E, Suite 220, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA; University of Utah School of Medicine, Pulmonary Division, 26 N 1900 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA.
| | - Tabitha M Benney
- Department of Political Science and Environmental Studies Program, University of Utah, 260 S Central Campus Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Ryan Bares
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, 135 S 1460 E, Room 819, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Erik T Crosman
- Department of Life, Earth and Environmental Sciences, West Texas A&M University, Natural Sciences Building 324, Canyon, TX 79016, USA
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Rovira J, Nadal M, Schuhmacher M, Domingo JL. Environmental impact and human health risks of air pollutants near a large chemical/petrochemical complex: Case study in Tarragona, Spain. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 787:147550. [PMID: 33991912 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Chemical industries and oil refineries are known emission sources of environmental contaminants, such as metals/metalloids, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs), among others. Based on the toxicological potential of these pollutants, harmful health effects can be expected for the population living near these facilities. One of the largest chemical/petrochemical complexes in Europe is located in Tarragona County (Catalonia, Spain). In the last two decades, a number of investigations aimed at assessing the environmental impact of air pollutants potentially emitted by this industrial complex have been carried out. The present paper is a review of the available scientific information on the levels of air pollutants related with the activities of this chemical/petrochemical complex. Although there are currently some data on the environmental burdens of metals/metalloids, PAHs, VOCs and PCDD/Fs, there is an evident lack of specific biological monitoring studies on human health. Taking into account the amount of chemicals released to air and their toxicity, it is essential to perform an in-depth analysis of the current health status of the population living in Tarragona County.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquim Rovira
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain; Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Martí Nadal
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Marta Schuhmacher
- Departament d'Enginyeria Quimica, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - José L Domingo
- Laboratory of Toxicology and Environmental Health, School of Medicine, IISPV, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Sant Llorenç 21, 43201 Reus, Catalonia, Spain.
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Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has emerged as a serious public health threat and has had a tremendous impact on all spheres of the environment. The air quality across the world improved because of COVID-19 lockdowns. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, large numbers of studies have been carried out on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the world, but no studies have been carried out on the systematic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality. This study aims to systematically assess the bibliographic review on the impact of lockdowns on air quality around the globe. A total of 237 studies were identified after rigorous review, and 144 studies met the criteria for the review. The literature was surveyed from Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science, and the Google search engine. The results reveal that (i) most of the studies were carried out on Asia (about 65%), followed by Europe (18%), North America (6%), South America (5%), and Africa (3%); (ii) in the case of countries, the highest number of studies was performed on India (29%), followed by China (23%), the U.S. (5%), the UK (4%), and Italy; (iii) more than 60% of the studies included NO2 for study, followed by PM2.5 (about 50%), PM10, SO2, and CO; (iv) most of the studies were published by Science of the Total Environment (29%), followed by Aerosol and Air Quality Research (23%), Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health (9%), and Environmental Pollution (5%); (v) the studies reveal that there were significant improvements in air quality during lockdowns in comparison with previous time periods. Thus, this diversified study conducted on the impact of lockdowns on air quality will surely assist in identifying any gaps, as it outlines the insights of the current scientific research.
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Ghanemi A, Yoshioka M, St-Amand J. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Crisis Measures: Health Protective Properties? MEDICINES (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2021; 8:49. [PMID: 34564092 PMCID: PMC8472033 DOI: 10.3390/medicines8090049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ongoing 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) crisis has led governments to impose measures including mask wearing, physical distancing, and increased hygiene and disinfection, combined with home confinement and economic shutdown. Such measures have heavy negative consequences both on public health and the economy. However, these same measures have positive outcomes as "side effects" that are worth mentioning since they contribute to the improvement of some aspects of the population health. For instance, mask wearing helps to reduce allergies as well as the transmission of other airborne disease-causing pathogens. Physical distancing and social contact limitation help limit the spread of communicable diseases, and economic shutdown can reduce pollution and the health problems related to it. Decision makers could get inspired by these positive "side effects" to tackle and prevent diseases like allergies, infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases, and improve health care and pathology management. Indeed, the effectiveness of such measures in tackling certain health problems encourages inspiration from COVID-19 measures towards managing selected health problems. However, with the massive damage COVID-19-related measures have caused to countries' economies and people's lives, the question of how to balance the advantages and disadvantages of these measures in order to further optimize them needs to be debated among health care professionals and decision makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdelaziz Ghanemi
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Mayumi Yoshioka
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
| | - Jonny St-Amand
- Functional Genomics Laboratory, Endocrinology and Nephrology Axis, CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, Québec, QC G1V 4G2, Canada; (A.G.); (M.Y.)
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Laval University, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
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Pandey M, George MP, Gupta RK, Gusain D, Dwivedi A. Impact of COVID-19 induced lockdown and unlock down phases on the ambient air quality of Delhi, capital city of India. URBAN CLIMATE 2021; 39:100945. [PMID: 34377634 PMCID: PMC8339501 DOI: 10.1016/j.uclim.2021.100945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The present study deals with the impact of the pandemic outbreak of COVID-19 on the ambient air quality in the capital city of India. Real-time data were collected from eight continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations measuring important air quality parameters (NO2, PM10 and PM2.5). Results revealed that the city's air quality had improved significantly during the lockdown period due to COVID-19 outbreak. The concentration of gaseous and particulate matter during the lockdown period (March-May 2020) declined significantly compared with the preceding years' data from the same timeframe. However, the ambient air quality deteriorates with the onset of unlocking phases and post-monsoon season (October 2020). Higher concentration of NO2, PM10 and PM2.5 were recorded at industrial (S1 and S2) and hotspot (S4 and S5) sites. The lowest concentrations of studied pollutants were observed during the first phase of lockdown (March 24 - May 14, 2020). The present study, once again, establishes the direct effect of anthropogenic activities and deteriorating ambient air quality of Delhi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mayank Pandey
- Department of Environmental Studies, P.G.D.A.V. College (Evening), University of Delhi, Ring Road, Nehru Nagar, Delhi 110065, India
| | - M P George
- Air Laboratory Delhi Pollution Control Committee Fourth Floor, ISBT Building, Kashmere Gate, Delhi 110006, India
| | - R K Gupta
- P.G.D.A.V. College (Evening), University of Delhi, Ring Road, Nehru Nagar, Delhi 110065, India
| | - Deepak Gusain
- Department of Environmental Studies, P.G.D.A.V. College (Evening), University of Delhi, Ring Road, Nehru Nagar, Delhi 110065, India
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76
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Kiser D, Elhanan G, Metcalf WJ, Schnieder B, Grzymski JJ. SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate in Reno, Nevada: association with PM2.5 during the 2020 wildfire smoke events in the western United States. JOURNAL OF EXPOSURE SCIENCE & ENVIRONMENTAL EPIDEMIOLOGY 2021; 31:797-803. [PMID: 34257389 PMCID: PMC8276229 DOI: 10.1038/s41370-021-00366-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Revised: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Air pollution has been linked to increased susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2. Thus, it has been suggested that wildfire smoke events may exacerbate the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVES Our goal was to examine whether wildfire smoke from the 2020 wildfires in the western United States was associated with an increased rate of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Reno, Nevada. METHODS We conducted a time-series analysis using generalized additive models to examine the relationship between the SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate at a large regional hospital in Reno and ambient PM2.5 from 15 May to 20 Oct 2020. RESULTS We found that a 10 µg/m3 increase in the 7-day average PM2.5 concentration was associated with a 6.3% relative increase in the SARS-CoV-2 test positivity rate, with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 2.5 to 10.3%. This corresponded to an estimated 17.7% (CI: 14.4-20.1%) increase in the number of cases during the time period most affected by wildfire smoke, from 16 Aug to 10 Oct. SIGNIFICANCE Wildfire smoke may have greatly increased the number of COVID-19 cases in Reno. Thus, our results substantiate the role of air pollution in exacerbating the pandemic and can help guide the development of public preparedness policies in areas affected by wildfire smoke, as wildfires are likely to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Kiser
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA.
| | - Gai Elhanan
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
| | - William J Metcalf
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Brendan Schnieder
- Washoe County Health District Air Quality Management Division, Reno, NV, USA
| | - Joseph J Grzymski
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, USA
- Renown Health, Reno, NV, USA
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77
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Elsaid K, Olabi V, Sayed ET, Wilberforce T, Abdelkareem MA. Effects of COVID-19 on the environment: An overview on air, water, wastewater, and solid waste. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 292:112694. [PMID: 33990012 PMCID: PMC8086829 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the world hardly as of the beginning of 2020 and quickly spread worldwide from its first-reported point in early Dec. 2019. By mid-March 2021, the COVID-19 almost hit all countries worldwide, with about 122 and 2.7 million confirmed cases and deaths, respectively. As a strong measure to stop the infection spread and deaths, many countries have enforced quarantine and lockdown of many activities. The shutdown of these activities has resulted in large economic losses. However, it has been widely reported that these measures have resulted in improved air quality, more specifically in highly polluted areas characterized by massive population and industrial activities. The reduced levels of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and particulate matter emissions have been reported and confirmed worldwide in association with lockdown periods. On the other hand, ozone levels in ambient air have been found to increase, mainly in response to the reduced nitrogen emissions. In addition, improved water quality in natural water resources has been reported as well. Wastewater facilities have reported a higher level of organic load with persistent chemicals due to the increased use of sanitizers, disinfectants, and antibiotics. The solid waste generated due to the COVID-19 pandemic was found to increase both qualitatively and quantitatively. This work presents and summarizes the observed environmental effects of COVID-19 as reported in the literature for different countries worldwide. The work provides a distinct overview considering the effects imposed by COVID-19 on the air, water, wastewater, and solid waste as critical elements of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khaled Elsaid
- Chemical Engineering Program, Texas A&M University at Qatar, P.O. 23874, Doha, Qatar.
| | - Valentina Olabi
- College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK
| | - Enas Taha Sayed
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Egypt; Center for Advanced Materials Research, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Tabbi Wilberforce
- Mechanical Engineering and Design, Aston University, School of Engineering and Applied Science, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, B4 7ET, UK
| | - Mohammad Ali Abdelkareem
- Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Minia University, Egypt; Center for Advanced Materials Research, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Department of Sustainable and Renewable Energy Engineering, University of Sharjah, 27272, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
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78
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Sanchez-Piedra C, Cruz-Cruz C, Gamiño-Arroyo AE, Prado-Galbarro FJ. Effects of air pollution and climatology on COVID-19 mortality in Spain. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2021; 14:1869-1875. [PMID: 34335996 PMCID: PMC8310774 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-021-01062-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The health, economic, and social impact of COVID-19 has been significant across the world. Our objective was to evaluate the association between air pollution (through NO2 and PM2.5 levels) and COVID-19 mortality in Spanish provinces from February 3, 2020, to July 14, 2020, adjusting for climatic parameters. An observational and ecological study was conducted with information extracted from Datadista repository (Datadista, 2020). Air pollutants (NO2 and PM2.5 levels) were analyzed as potential determinants of COVID-19 mortality. Multilevel Poisson regression models were used to analyze the risk of mortality after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Models were adjusted by four climatic variables (hours of solar radiation, precipitation, daily temperature and wind speed) and population size. The mean levels of PM2.5 and NO2 across all provinces and time in Spain were 8.7 μg/m3 (SD 9.7) and 8.7 μg/m3 (SD 6.2), respectively. High levels of PM2.5 (IRR = 1.016, 95% CI: 1.007-1.026), NO2 (IRR = 1.066, 95% CI: 1.058-1.075) and precipitation (IRRNO2 = 0.989, 95% CI: 0.981-0.997) were positively associated with COVID-19 mortality, whereas temperature (IRRPM2.5 = 0.988, 95% CI: 0.976-1.000; and IRRNO2 = 0.771, 95% CI: 0.761-0.782, respectively) and wind speed (IRRNO2 = 1.095, 95% CI: 1.061-1.131) were negatively associated with COVID-19 mortality. Air pollution can be a key factor to understand the mortality rate for COVID-19 in Spain. Furthermore, climatic variables could be influencing COVID-19 progression. Thus, air pollution and climatology ought to be taken into consideration in order to control the pandemic. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11869-021-01062-2.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Copytzy Cruz-Cruz
- Orphan Drug Laboratory, Biologic System Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Coapa, Villaquietud, Coyoacán, 04960 Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Francisco-Javier Prado-Galbarro
- Orphan Drug Laboratory, Biologic System Department, Metropolitan Autonomous University, Calzada del Hueso 1100, Coapa, Villaquietud, Coyoacán, 04960 Mexico City, Mexico
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79
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Marinello S, Butturi MA, Gamberini R. How changes in human activities during the lockdown impacted air quality parameters: A review. ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRESS & SUSTAINABLE ENERGY 2021; 40:e13672. [PMID: 34221243 PMCID: PMC8237064 DOI: 10.1002/ep.13672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The health emergency linked to the spread of COVID-19 has led to important reduction in industrial and logistics activities, as well as to a drastic changes in citizens' behaviors and habits. The restrictions on working activities, journeys and relationships imposed by the lockdown have had important consequences, including for environmental quality. This review aims to provide a structured and critical evaluation of the recent scientific bibliography that analyzed and described the impact of lockdown on human activities and on air quality. The results indicate an important effect of the lockdown during the first few months of 2020 on air pollution levels, compared to previous periods. The concentrations of particulate matter, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide have decreased. Tropospheric ozone, on the other hand, has significantly increased. These results are important indicators that can become decision drivers for future policies and strategies in industrial and logistics activities (including the mobility sector) aimed at their environmental sustainability. The scenario imposed by COVID-19 has supported the understanding of the link between the reduction of polluting emissions and the state of air quality and will be able to support strategic choices for the future sustainable growth of the industrial and logistics sector.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuele Marinello
- En&Tech Interdipartimental Center of the University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
| | - Maria Angela Butturi
- Department of Sciences and Methods for EngineeringUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
| | - Rita Gamberini
- En&Tech Interdipartimental Center of the University of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
- Department of Sciences and Methods for EngineeringUniversity of Modena and Reggio EmiliaReggio EmiliaItaly
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80
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Hammer MS, van Donkelaar A, Martin RV, McDuffie EE, Lyapustin A, Sayer AM, Hsu NC, Levy RC, Garay MJ, Kalashnikova OV, Kahn RA. Effects of COVID-19 lockdowns on fine particulate matter concentrations. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg7670. [PMID: 34162552 PMCID: PMC8221629 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg7670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic provide an unprecedented opportunity to examine the effects of human activity on air quality. The effects on fine particulate matter (PM2.5) are of particular interest, as PM2.5 is the leading environmental risk factor for mortality globally. We map global PM2.5 concentrations for January to April 2020 with a focus on China, Europe, and North America using a combination of satellite data, simulation, and ground-based observations. We examine PM2.5 concentrations during lockdown periods in 2020 compared to the same periods in 2018 to 2019. We find changes in population-weighted mean PM2.5 concentrations during the lockdowns of -11 to -15 μg/m3 across China, +1 to -2 μg/m3 across Europe, and 0 to -2 μg/m3 across North America. We explain these changes through a combination of meteorology and emission reductions, mostly due to transportation. This work demonstrates regional differences in the sensitivity of PM2.5 to emission sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie S Hammer
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA.
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Aaron van Donkelaar
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Erin E McDuffie
- Department of Energy, Environmental, and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Alexei Lyapustin
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Andrew M Sayer
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Goddard Earth Sciences Technology and Research, Universities Space Research Association, Greenbelt, MD 21046, USA
| | - N Christina Hsu
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Robert C Levy
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
| | - Michael J Garay
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Olga V Kalashnikova
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109, USA
| | - Ralph A Kahn
- Earth Sciences Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA
- Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
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81
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Anugerah AR, Muttaqin PS, Purnama DA. Effect of large-scale social restriction (PSBB) during COVID-19 on outdoor air quality: Evidence from five cities in DKI Jakarta Province, Indonesia. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111164. [PMID: 33872645 PMCID: PMC8639219 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The variation in the concentration of outdoor air pollutants during the COVID-19 lockdown was studied in Jakarta, Indonesia. The term lockdown was replaced by large-scale social restrictions (PSBB) in Indonesia by more flexible regulations to save the economy. Data on five air pollutants, namely, PM10, SO2, CO, O3, and NO2, from five monitoring stations located in five regions in Jakarta (West, East, Central, North, and South Jakarta) were utilized. We analyzed the changes in the concentrations of outdoor air pollutants before lockdown from January 1 to April 9, 2020, and during lockdown from April 10 to June 4, 2020. Overall, the CO concentration (39.9%) demonstrated the most significant reduction during lockdown, followed by NO2 (7.5%) and then SO2 (5.7%). However, we unexpectedly found that during lockdown, the PM10 concentration in Jakarta increased by 10.9% due to the southwest monsoon during the seasonal change in Jakarta. Among the five cities in Jakarta, East and Central Jakarta experienced the maximum improvement in their air quality, whereas North Jakarta had the least air quality improvement. To the best of our knowledge, this research is the first to study the effect of lockdown on outdoor air quality improvement in Indonesia using ground-level measurement data. The findings of the study provide additional strategies to the regulatory bodies for the reduction of temporal air pollutants in Jakarta, Indonesia, by restricting people mobility as a supplementary initiative.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adhe Rizky Anugerah
- Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products (INTROP), Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400, Selangor, Malaysia.
| | - Prafajar Suksessanno Muttaqin
- Department of Logistics Engineering, School of Industrial and System Engineering, Telkom University, 40257, Bandung, Indonesia.
| | - Dwi Adi Purnama
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Gadjah Mada, 55281, Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
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82
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Wang Q, Yang X. How do pollutants change post-pandemic? Evidence from changes in five key pollutants in nine Chinese cities most affected by the COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 197:111108. [PMID: 33812870 PMCID: PMC8545702 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Under the COVID-19 global pandemic, China has weakened the large-scale spread of the epidemic through lockdown and other measures. At the same time, with the recovery of social production activities, China has become the only country which achieves positive growth in 2020 in the major economies. It entered the post pandemic period. These measures improved the local environmental quality. However, whether this improvement can be sustained is also a problem that needs to be solved. So, this study investigated the changes of five air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, and CO) in the nine cities most severely affected by the pandemic in China during the lockdown and post pandemic period. We emphasized that when analyzing the changes of environmental quality during the epidemic, we must consider not only the impact of the day and short-term changesbut also the cumulative lag effect and sustainable development. Through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, it is found that the concentration of pollutants decreased significantly during the lockdown compared to the situation before the epidemic. PM10 and NO2 are falling most, which downs 39% and 46% respectively. During the lockdown period, the pollutant concentrations response to the pandemic has a lag of 3-7 days. More specifically, in the cities related to single pollutants, the impact on the pollutant shows a significant correlation when the measures are delayed for seven days. In the cities that are related to multiple pollutants, the correlation is usually highest in 3-5 days. This means that the impact of policy measures on the environment lasted for 3-5 days. Besides, Wuhan, Jingmen and Jingzhou have seen the most obvious improvement. However, this improvement did not last. In the post pandemic period, the pollutants rebounded, the growth rates of PM10 and NO2 reached 44% and 87% in September. When compared with the changes of pollutants concentration in the same period from 2017 to 2019, the decline rate has also been significantly slower, even higher than the average concentration of previous years. The research not only contributes to China's economic "green recovery" plan during the post epidemic period, but also provides references for environmental governance during economic recovery in other countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, People's Republic of China; Institute for Energy Economics and Policy, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, People's Republic of China.
| | - Xuan Yang
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, People's Republic of China; Institute for Energy Economics and Policy, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, People's Republic of China
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83
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Local Analysis of Air Quality Changes in the Community of Madrid before and during the COVID-19 Induced Lockdown. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12060659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines the effect of the COVID-19 induced lockdown upon six pollutants, CO, NO, NO2, PM10, PM2.5, and O3, in the Spanish community of Madrid. The paper relies on clustering methods and multiple regression techniques to control for a battery of potential confounding factors. The results show that the nationwide lockdown, decreed on 13 March by the Spanish government, exerted a statistically significant effect upon most pollution indicators. The estimates range from approximately −82% (NO and NO2) to −3% (CO). Reversely, the COVID-19 induced lockdown raised O3 levels by an average of 20%. By using data from 43 stations spread out among the region, the paper provides a local level analysis. This analysis reveals substantial differences across areas and across pollutants. This observation indicates that any successful approach to improve air quality in the region must be multidimensional.
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84
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Wu CL, Wang HW, Cai WJ, He HD, Ni AN, Peng ZR. Impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on roadside traffic-related air pollution in Shanghai, China. BUILDING AND ENVIRONMENT 2021; 194:107718. [PMID: 33633432 PMCID: PMC7891056 DOI: 10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.107718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 02/09/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has significantly inhibited global economic growth and impacted the environment. Some evidence suggests that lockdown strategies have significantly reduced traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) in regions across the world. However, the impact of COVID-19 on TRAP on roadside is still not clearly understood. In this study, we assessed the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on the levels of traffic-related air pollutants in Shanghai. The pollution data from two types of monitoring stations-roadside stations and non-roadside stations were compared and evaluated. The results show that NO2, PM2.5, PM10, and SO2 had reduced by ~30-40% at each station during the COVID-19 pandemic in contrast to 2018-2019. CO showed a moderate decline of 28.8% at roadside stations and 16.4% at non-roadside stations. In contrast, O3 concentrations increased by 30.2% at roadside stations and 5.7% at non-roadside stations. This result could be resulted from the declined NOx emissions from vehicles, which lowered O3 titration. Full lockdown measures resulted in the highest reduction of primary pollutants by 34-48% in roadside stations and 18-50% in non-roadside stations. The increase in O3 levels was also the most significant during full lockdown by 64% in roadside stations and 33% in non-roadside stations due to the largest decrease in NO2 precursors, which promote O3 formation. Additionally, Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between NO2 and other pollutants significantly decreased, while the values between NO2 and O3 increased at roadside stations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cui-Lin Wu
- Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems Applications, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hong-Wei Wang
- Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems Applications, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Wan-Jin Cai
- Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems Applications, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Hong-di He
- Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems Applications, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - An-Ning Ni
- Center for Intelligent Transportation Systems and Unmanned Aerial Systems Applications, State Key Laboratory of Ocean Engineering, School of Naval Architecture, Ocean and Civil Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China
| | - Zhong-Ren Peng
- International Center for Adaptation Planning and Design, College of Design, Construction and Planning, University of Florida, PO Box 115706, Gainesville, FL, 32611-5706, USA
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85
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Evolution of Gaseous and Particulate Pollutants in the Air: What Changed after Five Lockdown Weeks at a Southwest Atlantic European Region (Northwest of Spain) Due to the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic? ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12050562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Due to the exponential growth of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Spain (2020), the Spanish Government adopted lockdown measures as mitigating strategies to reduce the spread of the pandemic from 14 March. In this paper, we report the results of the change in air quality at two Atlantic Coastal European cities (Northwest Spain) during five lockdown weeks. The temporal evolution of gaseous (nitrogen oxides, comprising NOx, NO, and NO2; sulfur dioxide, SO2; carbon monoxide, CO; and ozone, O3) and particulate matter (PM10; PM2.5; and equivalent black carbon, eBC) pollutants were recorded before (7 February to 13 March 2020) and during the first five lockdown weeks (14 March to 20 April 2020) at seven air quality monitoring stations (urban background, traffic, and industrial) in the cities of A Coruña and Vigo. The influences of the backward trajectories and meteorological parameters on air pollutant concentrations were considered during the studied period. The temporal trends indicate that the concentrations of almost all species steadily decreased during the lockdown period with statistical significance, with respect to the pre-lockdown period. In this context, great reductions were observed for pollutants related mainly to fossil fuel combustion, road traffic, and shipping emissions (−38 to −78% for NO, −22 to −69% for NO2, −26 to −75% for NOx, −3 to −77% for SO2, −21% for CO, −25 to −49% for PM10, −10 to −38% for PM2.5, and −29 to −51% for eBC). Conversely, O3 concentrations increased from +5 to +16%. Finally, pollutant concentration data for 14 March to 20 April of 2020 were compared with those of the previous two years. The results show that the overall air pollutants levels were higher during 2018–2019 than during the lockdown period.
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86
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Arregocés HA, Rojano R, Restrepo G. Impact of lockdown on particulate matter concentrations in Colombia during the COVID-19 pandemic. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 764:142874. [PMID: 33077220 PMCID: PMC7546997 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Colombia was reported on March 6, 2020. For this reason, on March 25, preventive isolation was declared mandatory. These measures involved the suspension of economic activities and drastically reduced the number of vehicles on the road. The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on PM2.5 concentrations at 5 monitoring stations and aerosol optical depth values of the Terra/MODIS satellite. We analyzed and compared the weekly and monthly concentrations of PM2.5 before and during the lockdown between the week of January 6 to June 22, 2020, and compared the daily values obtained from the Terra/MODIS satellite for the months of January-June during the years 2018-2020 to elucidate the effects of the lockdown. Similar to other monitored sites in the world, we observed substantial reductions in weekly PM2.5 concentrations, from 41 to 84% (Bogotá), from 13 to 66% (Funza), from 17 to 57% (Boyacá), from 35 to 86% (Valledupar) and 31 at 60% (Risaralda). Unlike other studies, the aerosol optical depth values increased up to 59% during the months of lockdown compared to previous years and up to 70% of the weekly mean when compared to before the lockdown. These spatiotemporal behaviors of PM2.5 and the aerosol optical depth in Colombia are influenced by reductions in vehicular flow during quarantine, regional rainfall, and height of the planetary boundary layer. Emissions from economic activities affect pollutant levels in the area. The analysis of the levels of pollutants during the lockdown provides a baseline for regulatory agencies to establish mitigation plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heli A Arregocés
- Grupo de Investigación GISA, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de La Guajira, Riohacha, Colombia; Grupo Procesos Fisicoquímicos Aplicados, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia SIU/UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia.
| | - Roberto Rojano
- Grupo de Investigación GISA, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de La Guajira, Riohacha, Colombia
| | - Gloria Restrepo
- Grupo Procesos Fisicoquímicos Aplicados, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad de Antioquia SIU/UdeA, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
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87
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Kwak KH, Han BS, Park K, Moon S, Jin HG, Park SB, Baik JJ. Inter- and intra-city comparisons of PM 2.5 concentration changes under COVID-19 social distancing in seven major cities of South Korea. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2021; 14:1155-1168. [PMID: 33727988 PMCID: PMC7952083 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-021-01006-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted governments around the world to impose mitigation strategies of unprecedented scales, typically involving some form of restrictions on social activities and transportation. The South Korean government has been recommending a collection of guidelines now known as social distancing, leading to reduced human activities. This study analyzes changes in the concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) during the 30-day periods before and since the start of social distancing on 29 February 2020 using measurement data from air quality monitoring stations at various locations of the seven major cities of South Korea, namely, Seoul, Busan, Incheon, Daegu, Daejeon, Gwangju, and Ulsan. All seven cities experienced decreased levels of PM2.5 concentration by up to 25% and smaller fluctuations during the period of social distancing. Inter-city comparisons show that the PM2.5 concentration changes are positively correlated with the city-wide PM2.5 emission fractions for mobile sources and negatively correlated with the city-wide PM2.5 emission fractions for combustion and industrial process sources. In addition, the meteorological influences favorable for transboundary pollutant transport have weakened during the period under COVID-19 social distancing. Intra-city comparisons show that decreases in the intra-city variability of PM2.5 concentration were larger in coastal cities than in inland cities. Comparisons between the inter- and intra-city variabilities in the PM2.5 concentration changes under social distancing highlight the importance of taking into account intra-city variabilities in addition to inter-city variabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyung-Hwan Kwak
- School of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, South Korea
| | - Beom-Soon Han
- Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, Semyung University, Jecheon, South Korea
| | - Kyeongjoo Park
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Sungju Moon
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Han-Gyul Jin
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Seung-Bu Park
- School of Environmental Engineering, University of Seoul, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jong-Jin Baik
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Seoul National University, Seoul, South Korea
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88
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Gordo O, Brotons L, Herrando S, Gargallo G. Rapid behavioural response of urban birds to COVID-19 lockdown. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202513. [PMID: 33715437 PMCID: PMC7944088 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Biodiversity is threatened by the growth of urban areas. However, it is still poorly understood how animals can cope with and adapt to these rapid and dramatic transformations of natural environments. The COVID-19 pandemic provides us with a unique opportunity to unveil the mechanisms involved in this process. Lockdown measures imposed in most countries are causing an unprecedented reduction of human activities, giving us an experimental setting to assess the effects of our lifestyle on biodiversity. We studied the birds' response to the population lockdown by using more than 126 000 bird records collected by a citizen science project in northeastern Spain. We compared the occurrence and detectability of birds during the spring 2020 lockdown with baseline data from previous years in the same urban areas and dates. We found that birds did not increase their probability of occurrence in urban areas during the lockdown, refuting the hypothesis that nature has recovered its space in human-emptied urban areas. However, we found an increase in bird detectability, especially during early morning, suggesting a rapid change in the birds' daily routines in response to quieter and less crowded cities. Therefore, urban birds show high behavioural plasticity to rapidly adjust to novel environmental conditions, such as those imposed by the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Gordo
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, ES-08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lluís Brotons
- InForest Joint Research Unit (CTFC-CREAF), ES-25280 Solsona, Spain
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
- Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, ES-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain
| | - Sergi Herrando
- Catalan Ornithological Institute, ES-08019 Barcelona, Spain
- Centre of Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, ES-08193 Bellaterra, Spain
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89
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Eregowda T, Chatterjee P, Pawar DS. Impact of lockdown associated with COVID19 on air quality and emissions from transportation sector: case study in selected Indian metropolitan cities. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 41:401-412. [PMID: 33717826 PMCID: PMC7940867 DOI: 10.1007/s10669-021-09804-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the impact of air quality in selected Indian metropolitan cities during the COVID19 pandemic lockdown period. Concentrations of air quality parameters such as PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO during the transition to lockdown and the actual lockdown period were compared with business as usual periods (a period prior to COVID19 lockdown and a corresponding period in 2019) to estimate the reduction in emission in four major IT hubs in India namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. A 40-45% reduction in PM2.5 concentration was observed, in these cities, during the lockdown compared to the corresponding period in 2019 and a 20-45% reduction was observed compared to business as usual period in 2020. A vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT)-related questionnaire survey-based study in Hyderabad revealed that, with 48% of population utilizing work-from-home during the transition to lockdown period, vehicular PM2.5 emission in Hyderabad reduced by 54% compared to usual traffic emissions prior to COVID19 lockdown. Furthermore, it was estimated that emission of up to 3243, 777, 113, and 54 tons/year of CO, NOx, PM2.5, and SO2, respectively, could be avoided in Hyderabad alone, if work-from-home is implemented on a 2 days/week basis. The experience from this study can be used to develop policies favoring reduced use of private vehicles or implementation of work-from-home to combat air pollution and reduce carbon emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejaswini Eregowda
- National Green Tribunal Monitoring Cell, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Bengaluru, 560001 India.,Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute, Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment, Government of Karnataka, Bangalore, 560076 India
| | - Pritha Chatterjee
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502285 India
| | - Digvijay S Pawar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502285 India
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90
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Donzelli G, Cioni L, Cancellieri M, Llopis-Morales A, Morales-Suárez-Varela M. Relations between Air Quality and Covid-19 Lockdown Measures in Valencia, Spain. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:2296. [PMID: 33652575 PMCID: PMC7956633 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Revised: 02/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The set of measures to contain the diffusion of COVID-19 instituted by the European governments gave an unparalleled opportunity to improve our understanding of the transport and industrial sectors' contribution to urban air pollution. The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of the lockdown measures on air quality and pollutant emissions in Valencia, Spain. For this reason, we determined if there was a significant difference in the concentration levels of different particulate matter (PM) sizes, PM10, PM2.5, and NOx, NO2, NO, and O3, between the period of restrictions in 2020 and the same period in 2019. Our findings indicated that PM pollutant levels during the lockdown period were significantly different from the same period of the previous year, even if there is variability in the different local areas. The highest variations reduction in the PM10 and PM2.5 levels were observed for the València Centre, València Avd Francia, and València Pista de Silla (all of the urban traffic type) in which there was a reduction of 58%-42%, 56%-53%, and 60%-41% respectively. Moreover, consistent with recent studies, we observed a significant reduction in nitric oxide levels in all the air monitoring stations. In all seven monitoring stations, it was observed, in 2020, NOx, NO2, and NO concentrations decreased by 48.5%-49.8%-46.2%, 62.1%-67.4%-45.7%, 37.4%-35.7%-35.3%, 60.7%-67.7%-47.1%, 65.5%-65.8%-63.5%, 60.0%-64.5%-41.3%, and 60.4%-61.6%-52.5%, respectively. Lastly, overall O3 levels decreased during the lockdown period, although this phenomenon was more closely related to weather conditions. Overall, no significant differences were observed between the meteorological conditions in 2019 and 2020. Our findings suggest that further studies on the effect of human activities on air quality are needed and encourage the adoption of a holistic approach to improve urban air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Donzelli
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology, and Legal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Avenida Vicente Andres Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain; (A.L.-M.); (M.M.-S.-V.)
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Viale GB Morgagni 48, 50134 Florence, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Cioni
- Scuola Normale Superiore, Piazza dei Cavalieri 7, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Mariagrazia Cancellieri
- Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Public Health, AUSL Imola, Viale Giovanni Amendola 2, 40026 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Agustin Llopis-Morales
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology, and Legal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Avenida Vicente Andres Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain; (A.L.-M.); (M.M.-S.-V.)
| | - María Morales-Suárez-Varela
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Food Sciences, Toxicology, and Legal Medicine, School of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, Avenida Vicente Andres Estellés s/n, Burjassot, 46100 Valencia, Spain; (A.L.-M.); (M.M.-S.-V.)
- Biomedical Research Consortium in Epidemiology and Public Health Network (CIBERESP), Avenida Monforte de Lemos, 3-5. Pabellón 11. Planta 0, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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91
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Collivignarelli MC, De Rose C, Abbà A, Baldi M, Bertanza G, Pedrazzani R, Sorlini S, Carnevale Miino M. Analysis of lockdown for CoViD-19 impact on NO 2 in London, Milan and Paris: What lesson can be learnt? PROCESS SAFETY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION : TRANSACTIONS OF THE INSTITUTION OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERS, PART B 2021; 146:952-960. [PMID: 33390670 PMCID: PMC7762627 DOI: 10.1016/j.psep.2020.12.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) can have harmful effects on human health and can act as a precursor for the formation of other air pollutants in urban environment such as secondary PM2.5 and ozone. The lockdown measures for CoViD-19 allowed to simulate on a large scale the massive and prolonged reduction of road traffic (the main source for NO2 in urban environment). This work aims to selectively assess the maximum impact that total traffic blocking measures can have on NO2. For this reason, three megacities (London, Milan and Paris) were chosen which had similar characteristics in terms of climatic conditions, population, policies of urban traffic management and lockdown measures. 52 air quality control units have been used to compare data measured in lockdown and in the same periods of previous years, highlighting a significant decrease in NO2 concentration due to traffic (London: 71.1 % - 80.8 %; Milan: 8.6 % - 42.4 %; Paris: 65.7 % - 79.8 %). In 2020 the contribution of traffic in London, Milan and Paris dropped to 3.3 ± 1.3 μg m-3, 6.1 ± 0.8 μg m-3, and 13.4 ± 1.5 μg m-3, respectively. Despite the significant reduction in the NO2 concentration, in UT stations average NO2 concentrations higher than 40 μg m-3 were registered for several days. In order to reduce the pollution, the limitation of road traffic could be not enough, but a vision also aimed at rethink the vehicles and their polluting effects should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Cristina Collivignarelli
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
- Interdepartmental Centre for Water Research, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Claudio De Rose
- Honorary President of the Italian Court of Audit, Italy
- Research Center on Environmental Remediation and Recovery of Degraded Areas and Contaminated Sites, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Alessandro Abbà
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Baldi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Pavia, viale Taramelli 10, 27100, Pavia, Italy
| | - Giorgio Bertanza
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Roberta Pedrazzani
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Brescia, via Branze 38, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Sabrina Sorlini
- Department of Civil, Environmental, Architectural Engineering and Mathematics, University of Brescia, via Branze 43, 25123, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Carnevale Miino
- Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Pavia, via Ferrata 3, 27100, Pavia, Italy
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92
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Linares C, Belda F, López-Bueno JA, Luna MY, Sánchez-Martínez G, Hervella B, Culqui D, Díaz J. Short-term associations of air pollution and meteorological variables on the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in Madrid (Spain): a time series study. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES EUROPE 2021; 33:107. [PMID: 34513550 PMCID: PMC8420149 DOI: 10.1186/s12302-021-00548-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There are studies that analyze the role of meteorological variables on the incidence and severity of COVID-19, and others that explore the role played by air pollutants, but currently there are very few studies that analyze the impact of both effects together. This is the aim of the current study. We analyzed data corresponding to the period from February 1 to May 31, 2020 for the City of Madrid. As meteorological variables, maximum daily temperature (Tmax) in ºC and mean daily absolute humidity (AH) in g/m3 were used corresponding to the mean values recorded by all Spanish Meteorological Agency (AEMET) observatories in the Madrid region. Atmospheric pollutant data for PM10 and NO2 in µg/m3 for the Madrid region were provided by the Spanish Environmental Ministry (MITECO). Daily incidence, daily hospital admissions per 100.000 inhabitants, daily ICU admissions and daily death rates per million inhabitants were used as dependent variables. These data were provided by the ISCIII Spanish National Epidemiology Center. Generalized linear models with Poisson link were performed between the dependent and independent variables, controlling for seasonality, trend and the autoregressive nature of the series. RESULTS The results of the single-variable models showed a negative association between Tmax and all of the dependent variables considered, except in the case of deaths, in which lower temperatures were associated with higher rates. AH also showed the same behavior with the COVID-19 variables analyzed and with the lags, similar to those obtained with Tmax. In terms of atmospheric pollutants PM10 and NO2, both showed a positive association with the dependent variables. Only PM10 was associated with the death rate. Associations were established between lags 12 and 21 for PM10 and between 0 and 28 for NO2, indicating a short-term association of NO2 with the disease. In the two-variable models, the role of NO2 was predominant compared to PM10. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study indicate that the environmental variables analyzed are related to the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in the Community of Madrid. In general, low temperatures and low humidity in the atmosphere affect the spread of the virus. Air pollution, especially NO2, is associated with a higher incidence and severity of the disease. The impact that these environmental factors are small (in terms of relative risk) and by themselves cannot explain the behavior of the incidence and severity of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Linares
- National School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - José Antonio López-Bueno
- National School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Dante Culqui
- National School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Julio Díaz
- National School of Public Health, Carlos III Institute of Health, Avda. Monforte de Lemos 5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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93
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Eregowda T, Chatterjee P, Pawar DS. Impact of lockdown associated with COVID19 on air quality and emissions from transportation sector: case study in selected Indian metropolitan cities. ENVIRONMENT SYSTEMS & DECISIONS 2021. [PMID: 33717826 DOI: 10.1007/s10669-021-09804-4/tables/6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/21/2023]
Abstract
This study examines the impact of air quality in selected Indian metropolitan cities during the COVID19 pandemic lockdown period. Concentrations of air quality parameters such as PM2.5, NO2, SO2, and CO during the transition to lockdown and the actual lockdown period were compared with business as usual periods (a period prior to COVID19 lockdown and a corresponding period in 2019) to estimate the reduction in emission in four major IT hubs in India namely Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune. A 40-45% reduction in PM2.5 concentration was observed, in these cities, during the lockdown compared to the corresponding period in 2019 and a 20-45% reduction was observed compared to business as usual period in 2020. A vehicle kilometer traveled (VKT)-related questionnaire survey-based study in Hyderabad revealed that, with 48% of population utilizing work-from-home during the transition to lockdown period, vehicular PM2.5 emission in Hyderabad reduced by 54% compared to usual traffic emissions prior to COVID19 lockdown. Furthermore, it was estimated that emission of up to 3243, 777, 113, and 54 tons/year of CO, NOx, PM2.5, and SO2, respectively, could be avoided in Hyderabad alone, if work-from-home is implemented on a 2 days/week basis. The experience from this study can be used to develop policies favoring reduced use of private vehicles or implementation of work-from-home to combat air pollution and reduce carbon emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tejaswini Eregowda
- National Green Tribunal Monitoring Cell, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Bengaluru, 560001 India
- Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute, Department of Forest, Ecology & Environment, Government of Karnataka, Bangalore, 560076 India
| | - Pritha Chatterjee
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502285 India
| | - Digvijay S Pawar
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Kandi, Sangareddy, 502285 India
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Celik U, Celik K, Celik S, Abayli H, Sahna KC, Tonbak Ş, Toraman ZA, Oral A. Interpretation of SARS-CoV-2 behaviour on different substrates and denaturation of virions using ethanol: an atomic force microscopy study. RSC Adv 2020; 10:44079-44086. [PMID: 35517177 PMCID: PMC9058402 DOI: 10.1039/d0ra09083b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is a respiratory infection virus that was first detected in Wuhan, China. The virus causes COVID-19 disease and the outbreak was recognised as a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020. SARS-CoV-2 virion was first imaged using cryo-electron microscopy by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Atomic Force Microscopy is a unique technique that can allow imaging of biomolecules under different conditions. In this work, we used Atomic Force Microscopy to characterize SARS-CoV-2 on tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) and glass coverslip surfaces. We isolated SARS-CoV-2 and drop casted it on coverslip glass and tissue culture polystyrene surfaces. We analyzed height profiles, density, and aggregation behavior of the virion on glass and polystyrene surfaces. We observed the coffee ring effect on the drop casted samples and close packing of virions near the coffee rings on both surfaces with relatively higher virion distribution on the tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) substrates. We compare virion agglomeration on the two types of surfaces. Finally, we applied ethanol disinfectant to virions on the surface to visualize the effect of ethanol and image the ultrastructure of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Umit Celik
- School of Civil Aviation, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Kubra Celik
- School of Civil Aviation, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Suleyman Celik
- Sabanci University Nanotechnology and Applications Center (SUNUM), Sabanci University Tuzla Istanbul 34956 Turkey
| | - Hasan Abayli
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Kezban Can Sahna
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Şükrü Tonbak
- Department of Virology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Zulal Asci Toraman
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Firat University Elazig 23119 Turkey
| | - Ahmet Oral
- Department of Physics, Middle East Technical University Çankaya Ankara 06800 Turkey
- NanoMagnetics Instruments Ltd Ankara Turkey
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95
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COVID-19 and the Improvement of the Global Air Quality: The Bright Side of a Pandemic. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11121279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this investigation is to study the impacts of the global response to COVID-19 on air pollution and air quality changes in major cities across the globe over the past few months. Air quality data (NO2, CO, PM2.5, and O3) were downloaded from the World Air Quality Index project for the January 2019–April 2020 period. Results show a significant reduction in the levels of 2020 NO2, CO, and PM2.5 compared to their levels in 2019. These reductions were as high as 63% (Wuhan, China), 61% (Lima, Peru), and 61% (Berlin, Germany), in NO2, CO, and PM2.5 levels, respectively. In contrast, 2020 O3 levels increased substantially, as high as 86% (Milan, Italy), in an apparent response to the decrease in titration by nitrogen monoxide and its derivatives. Significant differences in the weather conditions across the globe do not seem to impact this air quality improvement trend. Will this trend in the reduction in most air pollutants to unprecedented levels continue in the next few weeks or even months? The response to this and other questions will depend on the future global economic and environmental policies.
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96
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Coccia M. THE IMPACT OF LOCKDOWN ON PUBLIC HEALTH DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC: LESSONS LEARNED FOR DESIGNING EFFECTIVE CONTAINMENT MEASURES TO COPE WITH SECOND WAVE.. [DOI: 10.1101/2020.10.22.20217695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
AbstractWhat is hardly known in the studies of the COVID-19 global pandemic crisis is the impact of general lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic both public health and economic system. The main goal of this study is a comparative analysis of some European countries with a longer and shorter period of national lockdown during the first wave of COVID-19 from March to August 2020. Findings suggests that: a) countries with shorter period of lockdown have a variation of confirmed cases/population (%) higher than countries with longer period of lockdown; b) countries with shorter period of lockdown have average fatality rate (5.45%) lower than countries with longer period of lockdown (12.70%), whereas variation of fatality rate from August to March 2020 suggests a higher reduction in countries with longer period of lockdown (−1.9% vs 0.72%). However, Independent Samples Test and the Mann-Whitney test reveal that the effectiveness of longer period of lockdown versus shorter one on public health is not significant. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic associated with longer period of lockdown has a higher negative impact on economic growth with consequential social issues in countries. Results of the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on public health and economies of some leading countries in Europe, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, can provide vital information to design effective containment strategies in future waves of this pandemic to minimize the negative effects in society.
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