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Hong Y, Lu K. The effect of quarantine policy on pollution emission and the usage of private transportation in urban areas. Sci Rep 2024; 14:15752. [PMID: 38977818 PMCID: PMC11231271 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-66685-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 07/03/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Governmental policies, regulations, and responses to the pandemic can benefit from a better understanding of people's resulting behaviours before, during, and after COVID-19. To avoid the inelasticity and subjectivity of survey datasets, several studies have already used some objective variables like air pollutants to estimate the potential impacts of COVID-19 on the urban transportation system. However, the usage of reactant gases and a narrow time scale might weaken the results somehow. Here, both the objective passenger volume of public transport and the concentration of private traffic emitted black carbon (BC) from 2018 to 2023 were collected/calculated to decipher the potential relationship between public and private traffic during the COVID-19 period. Our results indicated that the commuting patterns of citizens show significant (p < 0.01) different patterns before, during, and after the pandemic. To be specific, public transportation showed a significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with private transportation before the pandemic. This public transportation was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by the outbreaks of COVID-19, showing a significant (p < 0.01) negative correlation with private transportation. Such impacts of the virus and governmental policy would affect the long-term behaviour of individuals and even affect public transportation usage after the pandemic. Our results also indicated that such behaviour was mainly linked to the governmental restriction policy and would soon be neglected after the cancellation of the restriction policy in China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihang Hong
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- Department of Economics, University of Reading, White Knight, RG66UR, UK
| | - Ke Lu
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
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2
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Goel V, Jain S, Singh V, Kumar M. Source apportionment, health risk assessment, and trajectory analysis of black carbon and light absorption properties of black and brown carbon in Delhi, India. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:116252-116265. [PMID: 37910356 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-30512-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023]
Abstract
Black Carbon (BC) is an important atmospheric pollutant, well recognized for adverse health and climatic effects. The present work discusses the monthly and seasonal variations of BC sources, health risks, and light absorption properties. The measurement was done from January to December 2021 using a seven wavelength aethalometer. Annual average BC concentration during the study period was 12.2 ± 8.8 μg/m3 (ranged from 1.9 - 52.2 μg/m3). Results represent highest BC concentration during winter (W), followed by post-monsoon (P-M), summer (S), and monsoon (M) seasons where the fossil fuel (FF) combustion is the major source during W, S, and M seasons and biomass burning (BB) during the P-M season. The health risk assessment revealed that individuals in Delhi are exposed to BC levels equivalent to inhaling the smoke from 36 passively smoked cigarettes (PSC) everyday. The risk is highest during W reaching upto 71 PSC and minimum during M i.e., 9 PSC. The light absorption properties were calculated for BC (AbsBC) and Brown carbon (AbsBrC). AbsBC and varied from 229-89 Mm-1 between 370-950 nm and AbsBrC varied from 87-12 Mm-1 between 370-660 nm. AbsBC contributed substantially to total absorption at all wavelengths, while AbsBrC contribution is quite significant in the UV region only. Trajectory analysis confirmed significant influence of regional sources (e.g., biomass-burning aerosols from northwest and east direction) on air quality, health risks, and light absorption properties of BC over Delhi especially during the P-M season. The BB events of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and eastern Pakistan seems to have significant influence on Delhi's air quality predominantly during P-M season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikas Goel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, 110016, India
- School of Interdisciplinary Research, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Srishti Jain
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Vikram Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, 110016, India
| | - Mayank Kumar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Delhi, 110016, India.
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Singh P, Vaishya A, Rastogi S. Investigating changes in atmospheric aerosols properties over the Indo-Gangetic Plain during different phases of COVID-19-induced lockdowns. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:100215-100232. [PMID: 37632617 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29449-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Impact of COrona VIrus Diseases 2019 (COVID-19) restrictive measures on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and black carbon (BC) concentration is investigated for the western, central, and eastern Indo-Gangetic Plain (IGP) using satellite-based observations. Due to COVID-19-induced lockdown measures, a noticeable decline in AOD and BC concentrations was observed across the IGP when compared to pre-lockdown period of 2020 and the lockdown concurrent period of 2015-2019. During the total lockdown period, a maximum drop in AOD and BC was observed in the central IGP (26.5 % and 10.1 %), followed by western IGP (24.9% and 5.2%) and eastern IGP (23.2 % and 4.9 %) with respect to the same period of 2015-2019. We have removed seasonal influences on aerosol properties during the COVID-19 lockdown, by taking average seasonal variations during the period of 2015-2019 as reference and projecting the hypothetical AOD and BC for the lockdown period under normal scenario. The difference between the hypothetical AOD and BC (under normal scenario) and the retrieved AOD and BC for the lockdown period is the absolute percentage change in AOD and BC concentration due to the lockdown alone. This elimination of seasonal influence is a novel approach. Central IGP showed an absolute decrease in AOD and BC of 38.5% and 18.2% during the lockdown period followed by western IGP (34.6% and 7.7%) and eastern IGP (25.9% and 11.5%). The observed absolute reduction in AOD, 26-39 %, is significantly higher than the global average reduction in AOD of 2-5%. CALIPSO-derived aerosol sub-types over major location of the western, central, and eastern IGP suggests prevalence of anthropogenic activities during pre- and post-lockdown periods. During the lockdown, IGP was influenced by aerosols from natural sources, with mineral dust and polluted dust in the western and central IGP, and aerosols from marine regions in the eastern IGP. Replenishment of aerosols within the boundary layer were far quicker when compared to total column during post-lockdown. Overall, the study reveals a reduction in anthropogenic emissions during the COVID-19-induced lockdowns, leading to temporary improvements in air quality over the IGP. Our study presents a comprehensive analysis of COVID-19 lockdown impact on aerosols properties over the IGP and highlights unprecedented reductions in AOD (~ 40 %) and BC (~ 20 %), due to imposition of lockdown and subsequent cessation of aerosol sources, by removing seasonal influences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prayagraj Singh
- Department of Physics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, 273009, India
| | - Aditya Vaishya
- School of Arts and Sciences, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, 380 009, India.
- Global Centre for Environment and Energy, Ahmedabad University, Ahmedabad, 380 009, India.
| | - Shantanu Rastogi
- Department of Physics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur, 273009, India
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Targino AC, Moreno FL, Krecl P, Cardoso JV. Significant differences in black and brown carbon concentrations at urban and suburban sites. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18418. [PMID: 37520949 PMCID: PMC10374922 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Light-absorbing carbonaceous particles (LAC) may cause and/or exacerbate non-communicable diseases, interfere with the Earth's radiative balance, darken urban buildings and impair vistas. In this study, we explored the temporal behaviour of LAC concentrations measured at wavelengths of 370 nm (brown carbon, BrC) and 880 nm (black carbon, BC) at two sites of a mid-sized city in Brazil. We observed sharp changes in LAC concentrations at the city centre site in response to variations in traffic volume. The highest concentrations were observed when winds originated from both the city core and from the direction of the bus terminal. The suburban site exhibited a notably uniform diurnal pattern and consistently lower LAC concentrations throughout the day. Nevertheless, substantial increases during the evening led to mean BrC and BC concentrations (2.6 and 2.2 μg m-3, respectively) comparable to daytime peaks observed in the city centre (3 μg m-3 and 2.5 μg m-3). This phenomenon was attributed to the burning of residential waste and overgrown vegetation in nearby vacant lots. Moreover, the highest concentrations coincided with periods of low wind speeds, usually linked to non-buoyant plumes from point sources. BrC concentrations surpassed BC concentrations, even at the city centre site. Not only was the Ångström absorption exponent (Å370/880) larger at the suburban site compared to the city centre (95th percentiles of 1.73 and 1.38, respectively), but it also exhibited a wider span. Overall, the combined LAC and Å370/880 data indicated that i) biomass burning is a major source of LAC at the suburban site; ii) at the city centre, bare BC particles may become internally mixed with BrC from biomass or fossil fuel emissions and enhance absorption at lower wavelengths. The occurrence of LAC peaks outside the evening rush hours suggests that other sources but on-road vehicular emissions may contribute to the deterioration of the air quality in the urban core. Tackling air quality across the urban perimeter requires targeting other potential sources but traffic emissions.
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Conte M, Dinoi A, Grasso FM, Merico E, Guascito MR, Contini D. Concentration and size distribution of atmospheric particles in southern Italy during COVID-19 lockdown period. ATMOSPHERIC ENVIRONMENT (OXFORD, ENGLAND : 1994) 2023; 295:119559. [PMID: 36569029 PMCID: PMC9759460 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2022.119559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Many countries imposed lockdown (LD) to limit the spread of COVID-19, which led to a reduction in the emission of anthropogenic atmospheric pollutants. Several studies have investigated the effects of LD on air quality, mostly in urban settings and criteria pollutants. However, less information is available on background sites, and virtually no information is available on particle number size distribution (PNSD). This study investigated the effect of LD on air quality at an urban background site representing a near coast area in the central Mediterranean. The analysis focused on equivalent black carbon (eBC), particle mass concentrations in different size fractions: PM2.5 (aerodynamic diameter Da < 2.5 μm), PM10 (Da < 10 μm), PM10-2.5 (2.5 < Da < 10 μm); and PNSD in a wide range of diameters (0.01-10 μm). Measurements in 2020 during the national LD in Italy and period immediately after LD (POST-LD period) were compared with those in the corresponding periods from 2015 to 2019. The results showed that LD reduced the frequency and intensity of high-pollution events. Reductions were more relevant during POST-LD than during LD period for all variables, except quasi-ultrafine particles and PM10-2.5. Two events of long-range transport of dust were observed, which need to be identified and removed to determine the effect of LD. The decreases in the quasi-ultrafine particles and eBC concentrations were 20%, and 15-22%, respectively. PM2.5 concentration was reduced by 13-44% whereas PM10-2.5 concentration was unaffected. The concentration of accumulation mode particles followed the behaviour of PM2.5, with reductions of 19-57%. The results obtained could be relevant for future strategies aimed at improving air quality and understanding the processes that influence the number and mass particle size distributions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marianna Conte
- Laboratory for Observations and Analyses of Earth and Climate, Agenzia Nazionale per le Nuove Tecnologie, l'Energia e lo Sviluppo Economico Sostenibile (ENEA), Rome, 00123, Italy
| | - Adelaide Dinoi
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce, 73100, Italy
| | - Fabio Massimo Grasso
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce, 73100, Italy
| | - Eva Merico
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce, 73100, Italy
| | - Maria Rachele Guascito
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce, 73100, Italy
- Dipartimento DISTEBA, Università del Salento, Via per Arnesano, Lecce, 73100, Italy
| | - Daniele Contini
- Istituto di Scienze dell'Atmosfera e del Clima (ISAC), Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Str. Prv. Lecce-Monteroni km 1.2, Lecce, 73100, Italy
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El Baramoussi EM, Ren Y, Xue C, Ouchen I, Daële V, Mercier P, Chalumeau C, Fur FLE, Colin P, Yahyaoui A, Favez O, Mellouki A. Nearly five-year continuous atmospheric measurements of black carbon over a suburban area in central France. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 858:159905. [PMID: 36343810 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.159905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 10/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Atmospheric black carbon (BC) concentration over a nearly 5 year period (mid-2017-2021) was continuously monitored over a suburban area of Orléans city (France). Annual mean atmospheric BC concentration were 0.75 ± 0.65, 0.58 ± 0.44, 0.54 ± 0.64, 0.48 ± 0.46 and 0.50 ± 0.72 μg m-3, respectively, for the year of 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021. Seasonal pattern was also observed with maximum concentration (0.70 ± 0.18 μg m-3) in winter and minimum concentration (0.38 ± 0.04 μg m-3) in summer. We found a different diurnal pattern between cold (winter and fall) and warm (spring and summer) seasons. Further, fossil fuel burning contributed >90 % of atmospheric BC in the summer and biomass burning had a contribution equivalent to that of the fossil fuel in the winter. Significant week days effect on BC concentrations was observed, indicating the important role of local emissions such as car exhaust in BC level at this site. The behavior of atmospheric BC level with COVID-19 lockdown was also analyzed. We found that during the lockdown in warm season (first lockdown: 27 March-10 May 2020 and third lockdown 17 March-3 May 2021) BC concentration were lower than in cold season (second lockdown: 29 October-15 December 2020), which could be mainly related to the BC emission from biomass burning for heating. This study provides a long-term BC measurement database input for air quality and climate models. The analysis of especially weekend and lockdown effect showed implications on future policymaking toward improving local and regional air quality as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- El Mehdi El Baramoussi
- Earth Sciences Department, Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10106, Morocco; Institut de Combustion Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (ICARE-CNRS), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), CS 50060, 45071 Orléans cedex02, France
| | - Yangang Ren
- Institut de Combustion Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (ICARE-CNRS), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), CS 50060, 45071 Orléans cedex02, France; Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100085, PR China.
| | - Chaoyang Xue
- Laboratoire de Physique et Chimie de l'Environnement et de l'Espace (LPC2E), CNRS - Université Orléans - CNES (UMR 7328), 45071 Orléans Cedex 2, France
| | - Ibrahim Ouchen
- Earth Sciences Department, Scientific Institute, Mohammed V University, Rabat 10106, Morocco
| | - Véronique Daële
- Institut de Combustion Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (ICARE-CNRS), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), CS 50060, 45071 Orléans cedex02, France
| | - Patrick Mercier
- Lig'Air-Association de surveillance de la qualité de l'air en région Centre-Val de Loire, 45590 Saint-Cyr-en-Val, France
| | - Christophe Chalumeau
- Lig'Air-Association de surveillance de la qualité de l'air en région Centre-Val de Loire, 45590 Saint-Cyr-en-Val, France
| | - Frédéric L E Fur
- Lig'Air-Association de surveillance de la qualité de l'air en région Centre-Val de Loire, 45590 Saint-Cyr-en-Val, France
| | - Patrice Colin
- Lig'Air-Association de surveillance de la qualité de l'air en région Centre-Val de Loire, 45590 Saint-Cyr-en-Val, France
| | - Abderrazak Yahyaoui
- Lig'Air-Association de surveillance de la qualité de l'air en région Centre-Val de Loire, 45590 Saint-Cyr-en-Val, France
| | - Oliver Favez
- Institut National de l'Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Parc Technologique ALATA, Verneuil-en-Halatte, France
| | - Abdelwahid Mellouki
- Institut de Combustion Aérothermique, Réactivité et Environnement, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (ICARE-CNRS), Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers en région Centre (OSUC), CS 50060, 45071 Orléans cedex02, France; Environment Research Institute, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shandong University, Qingdao 266237, China.
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Adasme C, Villalobos AM, Jorquera H. Spatiotemporal Analysis of Black Carbon Sources: Case of Santiago, Chile, under SARS-CoV-2 Lockdowns. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:17064. [PMID: 36554946 PMCID: PMC9779851 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192417064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has temporarily decreased black carbon emissions worldwide. The use of multi-wavelength aethalometers provides a quantitative apportionment of black carbon (BC) from fossil fuels (BCff) and wood-burning sources (BCwb). However, this apportionment is aggregated: local and non-local BC sources are lumped together in the aethalometer results. METHODS We propose a spatiotemporal analysis of BC results along with meteorological data, using a fuzzy clustering approach, to resolve local and non-local BC contributions. We apply this methodology to BC measurements taken at an urban site in Santiago, Chile, from March through December 2020, including lockdown periods of different intensities. RESULTS BCff accounts for 85% of total BC; there was up to an 80% reduction in total BC during the most restrictive lockdowns (April-June); the reduction was 40-50% in periods with less restrictive lockdowns. The new methodology can apportion BCff and BCwb into local and non-local contributions; local traffic (wood burning) sources account for 66% (86%) of BCff (BCwb). CONCLUSIONS The intensive lockdowns brought down ambient BC across the city. The proposed fuzzy clustering methodology can resolve local and non-local contributions to BC in urban zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Adasme
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioprocesos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable (CEDEUS), Los Navegantes 1963, Providencia, Santiago 7520246, Chile
| | - Ana María Villalobos
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioprocesos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
| | - Héctor Jorquera
- Departamento de Ingeniería Química y Bioprocesos, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile
- Centro de Desarrollo Urbano Sustentable (CEDEUS), Los Navegantes 1963, Providencia, Santiago 7520246, Chile
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Hassan MA, Mehmood T, Lodhi E, Bilal M, Dar AA, Liu J. Lockdown Amid COVID-19 Ascendancy over Ambient Particulate Matter Pollution Anomaly. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:13540. [PMID: 36294120 PMCID: PMC9603700 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192013540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Air is a diverse mixture of gaseous and suspended solid particles. Several new substances are being added to the air daily, polluting it and causing human health effects. Particulate matter (PM) is the primary health concern among these air toxins. The World Health Organization (WHO) addressed the fact that particulate pollution affects human health more severely than other air pollutants. The spread of air pollution and viruses, two of our millennium's most serious concerns, have been linked closely. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) can spread through the air, and PM could act as a host to spread the virus beyond those in close contact. Studies on COVID-19 cover diverse environmental segments and become complicated with time. As PM pollution is related to everyday life, an essential awareness regarding PM-impacted COVID-19 among the masses is required, which can help researchers understand the various features of ambient particulate pollution, particularly in the era of COVID-19. Given this, the present work provides an overview of the recent developments in COVID-19 research linked to ambient particulate studies. This review summarizes the effect of the lockdown on the characteristics of ambient particulate matter pollution, the transmission mechanism of COVID-19, and the combined health repercussions of PM pollution. In addition to a comprehensive evaluation of the implementation of the lockdown, its rationales-based on topographic and socioeconomic dynamics-are also discussed in detail. The current review is expected to encourage and motivate academics to concentrate on improving air quality management and COVID-19 control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Azher Hassan
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
| | - Tariq Mehmood
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Department of Environmental Engineering, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, D-04318 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Ehtisham Lodhi
- The SKL for Management and Control of Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Muhammad Bilal
- School of Surveying and Land Information Engineering, Henan Polytechnic University, Jiaozuo 454000, China
| | - Afzal Ahmed Dar
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, Xi’an 710000, China
| | - Junjie Liu
- Tianjin Key Lab of Indoor Air Environmental Quality Control, School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, China
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Mukherjee S, Verma A, Meena GS, Kodoli S, Buchunde P, Aslam MY, Patil RD, Panicker A, Safai PD, Pandithurai G. Compensatory effect of biomass burning on black carbon concentrations during COVID-19 lockdown at a high-altitude station in SW India. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2022; 13:101566. [PMID: 36187213 PMCID: PMC9514839 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2022.101566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2021] [Revised: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The characteristics of black carbon (BC) aerosols, their sources, and their impact on atmospheric radiative forcing were extensively studied during the COVID-19 lockdown (28th March-31st May 2020) at a high-altitude rural site over the Western Ghats in southwest India. BC concentration and the contribution of BC originating from biomass burning (BCbb) estimated from the aethalometer model during the lockdown period were compared with the same periods in 2017 and 2018 and with the pre-lockdown period (1st February to March 20, 2020). BC concentrations were 44, 19, and 17% lower during the lockdown period compared with the pre-lockdown periods of 2020 and similar periods (28th March to 31st May) of 2017 and 2018, respectively. BCbb contributed ∼50% to total BC during the lockdown period of 2020 and compensated for the decrease in BC concentration due to lower traffic emissions. The characteristics of light-absorbing organic carbon (brown carbon; BrC) absorption at 370 nm were evaluated during the lockdown and the pre-lockdown periods of 2020, 2017, and 2018. The BrC was estimated to be the highest during the lockdown period of 2020. Finally, atmospheric radiative forcing was calculated using the mean BC concentration during the pre-lockdown, lockdown, and similar periods (28th March to 31st May) of 2017 and 2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Subrata Mukherjee
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, India
| | | | - Guman Singh Meena
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
| | - Sandeep Kodoli
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
| | - Pallavi Buchunde
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
- Savitribai Phule Pune University, India
| | | | - Rohit Dilip Patil
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
| | - Abhilash Panicker
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
| | | | - Govindan Pandithurai
- Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Pune, India
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Xie F, Lin YC, Ren L, Gul C, Wang JQ, Cao F, Zhang YX, Xie T, Wu JY, Zhang YL. Decrease of atmospheric black carbon and CO 2 concentrations due to COVID-19 lockdown at the Mt. Waliguan WMO/GAW baseline station in China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 211:112984. [PMID: 35245534 PMCID: PMC8887961 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.112984] [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: 09/16/2021] [Revised: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown policy reduced anthropogenic emissions and impacted the atmospheric chemical characteristics in Chinese urban cities. However, rare studies were conducted at the high mountain site. In this work, in-situ measurements of light absorption by carbonaceous aerosols and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations were conducted at Waliguan (WLG) over the northeastern Tibetan Plateau of China from January 3 to March 30, 2020. The data was employed to explore the influence of the COVID-19 lockdown on atmospheric chemistry in the background-free troposphere. During the sampling period, the light absorption near-infrared (>470 nm) was mainly contributed by BC (>72%), however, BC and brown carbon (BrC) contributed equally to light absorption in the short wavelength (∼350 nm). The average BC concentrations in the pre-, during and post-lockdown were 0.28 ± 0.25, 0.18 ± 0.16, and 0.28 ± 0.20 μg m-3, respectively, which decreased by approximately 35% during the lockdown period. Meanwhile, CO2 also showed slight decreases during the lockdown period. The declined BC was profoundly attributed to the reduced emissions (∼86%), especially for the combustion of fossil fuels. Moreover, the declined light absorption of BC, primary and secondary BrC decreased the solar energy absorbance by 35, 15, and 14%, respectively. The concentration weighted trajectories (CWT) analysis suggested that the decreased BC and CO2 at WLG were exclusively associated with the emission reduction in the eastern region of WLG. Our results highlighted that the reduced anthropogenic emissions attributed to the lockdown in the urban cities did impact the atmospheric chemistry in the free troposphere of the Tibetan Plateau.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feng Xie
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yu-Chi Lin
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Lei Ren
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Mt. Waliguan Background Station, China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Qinghai, China
| | - Chaman Gul
- Reading Academy, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, Jiangsu, 210044, China
| | - Jian-Qiong Wang
- Mt. Waliguan Background Station, China Meteorological Administration (CMA), Qinghai, China
| | - Fang Cao
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yi-Xuan Zhang
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Tian Xie
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Ji-Yan Wu
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
| | - Yan-Lin Zhang
- Yale-NUIST Center on Atmospheric Environment, International Joint Laboratory on Climate and Environment Change, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Key Laboratory Meteorological Disaster, Ministry of Education & Collaborative Innovation Center on Forecast and Evaluation of Meteorological Disaster, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China; Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Meteorology, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China.
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11
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Rajesh TA, Ramachandran S. Assessment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic imposed lockdown and unlock effects on black carbon aerosol, its source apportionment, and aerosol radiative forcing over an urban city in India. ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH 2022; 267:105924. [PMID: 34803200 PMCID: PMC8594172 DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2021.105924] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
A nationwide lockdown was imposed in India due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic which significantly reduced the anthropogenic emissions. We examined the characteristics of equivalent black carbon (eBC) mass concentration and its source apportionment using a multiwavelength aethalometer over an urban site (Ahmedabad) in India during the pandemic induced lockdown period of year 2020. For the first time, we estimate the changes in BC, its contribution from fossil (eBC ff ) and wood (eBC wf ) fuels during lockdown (LD) and unlock (UL) periods in 2020 with respect to 2017 to 2019 (normal period). The eBC mass concentration continuously decreased throughout lockdown periods (LD1 to LD4) due to enforced and stringent restrictions which substantially reduced the anthropogenic emissions. The eBC mass concentration increased gradually during unlock phases (UL1 to UL7) due to the phase wise relaxations after lockdown. During lockdown period eBC mass concentration decreased by 35%, whereas during the unlock period eBC decreased by 30% as compared to normal period. The eBC wf concentrations were higher by 40% during lockdown period than normal period due to significant increase in the biomass burning emissions from the several community kitchens which were operational in the city during the lockdown period. The average contributions of eBC ff and eBC wf to total eBC mass concentrations were 70% and 30% respectively during lockdown (LD1 to LD4) period, whereas these values were 87% and 13% respectively during the normal period. The reductions in BC concentrations were commensurate with the reductions in emissions from transportation and industrial activities. The aerosol radiative forcing reduced significantly due to the reduction in anthropogenic emissions associated with COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown leading to a cooling of the atmosphere. The findings in the present study on eBC obtained during the unprecedented COVID-19 induced lockdown can provide a comprehensive understanding of the BC sources and current emission control strategies, and thus can serve as baseline anthropogenic emissions scenario for future emission control strategies aimed to improve air quality and climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- T A Rajesh
- Space and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India
| | - S Ramachandran
- Space and Atmospheric Sciences Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 380009, India
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Pandey CP, Negi PS. Characteristics of equivalent black carbon aerosols over Doon Valley in NW Indian Himalaya during COVID-19 lockdown 2020. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 194:229. [PMID: 35220495 PMCID: PMC8882040 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-09879-9] [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: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Recently, black carbon (BC) has been identified as a potential transmitter for COVID-19 besides being responsible for climate change and serious health hazards. To mitigate the dreaded consequences of COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of India declared a nationwide lockdown on March 24, 2020. Accordingly, observations on equivalent black carbon (EBC) aerosols using AE 51 Aethalometer were performed during different lockdowns in Doon Valley. During April, May, June, and July, the monthly average EBC mass concentration recorded 2.12 ± 1.14 μg m-3, 2.58 ± 1.46 μg m-3, 2.74 ± 1.49 μg m-3, and 2.12 ± 1.32 μg m-3, respectively. A comparison of diurnal variation patterns with earlier studies indicates a significant reduction in EBC mass concentration levels. Bipolar NWR analysis for April and May depicts that relatively high EBC concentration was experienced with prominent south-easterly winds. The EBC concentration level during daytime was high compared to nighttime hours. Preliminary visualization of scanning electron micrographs indicates the variable morphology of aerosols. The bulk particle EDX spectral analysis indicates C, O, Na, F, Al, Si, K, Ca, and Ti elements with a dominance of C and O. Windblown dust seems to be the major contributor to the ambient aerosols. Furthermore, MODIS recorded the fire anomaly (attributed to the wheat stubble burning) starting from mid of April to early-June along the Indo-Gangetic Basin. Heavy loading of polluted aerosols was visible in CALIPSO data imageries. HYSPLIT cluster trajectories indicate that the study region is strongly influenced by the air mass transporting from the Gangetic Plain, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Gulf region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chhavi P Pandey
- Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33-GMS Road, Dehradun, India.
| | - Pyar S Negi
- Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, 33-GMS Road, Dehradun, India
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13
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Clemente Á, Yubero E, Nicolás JF, Caballero S, Crespo J, Galindo N. Changes in the concentration and composition of urban aerosols during the COVID-19 lockdown. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 203:111788. [PMID: 34339692 PMCID: PMC8654612 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Revised: 07/09/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
This work investigates the impact of COVID-19 restrictive measures on the mass concentrations of PM1 and PM10, and their chemical components (water-soluble ions, organic and elemental carbon, and major and trace metals) at an urban site in the western Mediterranean. The evolution of gaseous pollutants (NOx, O3 and some volatile organic compounds) was also analyzed. The concentrations measured during the lockdown in 2020 were compared to those obtained during the same period over the preceding five years. The average decrease in the levels of NOx and traffic-related volatile organic compounds was higher than 50 %, while O3 concentrations did not exhibit significant variations during the study period. Our results show that temporal variations in PM1 and PM10 concentrations were strongly affected by the frequency of Saharan dust events. When these episodes were excluded from the analysis period, a 35 % decrease in PM1 and PM10 levels was observed. Traffic restrictions during the lockdown led to important reductions in the concentrations of elemental carbon and metals derived from road dust (e.g. Ca and Fe) and break wear (e.g. Cu). Regarding secondary inorganic aerosols, nitrate showed the largest reductions as a consequence of the drop in local emissions of NOx.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Clemente
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Eduardo Yubero
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Jose F Nicolás
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Sandra Caballero
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Javier Crespo
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain
| | - Nuria Galindo
- Atmospheric Pollution Laboratory (LCA), Department of Applied Physics, Miguel Hernández University, Avenida de la Universidad S/N, 03202, Elche, Spain.
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14
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Singh S, Gokhale S. Effect of COVID-19 epidemic-led lockdowns on aerosol black carbon concentration, sources and its radiation effect in northeast India. JOURNAL OF EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE 2022; 131:139. [PMCID: PMC9166673 DOI: 10.1007/s12040-022-01883-4] [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: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 01/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Abstract The COVID-19 epidemic-led lockdown (LD) from March 25 to May 31, 2020, had a different level of impact on air quality in the ecologically sensitive region of northeast India, even though the restriction on main anthropogenic activities was expected to reduce particulate matter concentration. The daily average black carbon concentration measured at 880 nm (BC880) was 1.5–15.6 μg m−3 (mean: 5.75±4.24 μg m−3) during the measurement period. It was 9.29±4.11 μg m−3 during pre-LD (February 12–March 21), 4.70±0.95 μg m−3 during LD1 (March 25–April 14), 3.41±0.56 μg m−3 during LD2 (April 15–May 3), 3.69±1.50 μg m−3 during LD3 (May 4–17), 2.94±0.93 μg m−3 during LD4 (May 18–31), and 6.56±5.35 μg m−3 during the Post-LD (June 6–July 3) of 2020. It decreased up to 68% during the lockdowns. The source apportionment based on an improved method showed a significant improvement in the contribution of BC880 sources. The radiation effect determined by Angstrom Absorption Exponent showed that brown carbon accounted for 25% of the aerosol light absorption at 370 nm during the lockdown period. Relative humidity correlates substantially with BC880, while rainfall, temperature, and solar radiation were negatively correlated. The bivariate analysis showed the dominance of local emissions in the BC880 concentrations. Research highlights Black carbon concentration decreased up to 68% during the different phases of lockdown. BC associated with fossil fuel was 51–78%, and biomass burning was 22–49%. The fraction of fossil fuel and biomass burning in whole BC fallen to 0.73 and 0.65 during the lockdowns. Air quality improved by about 47–58% on the 4th and 7th day of lockdown. Brown carbon and meteorological parameters significantly impacted aerosol light absorption in this region.
Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12040-022-01883-4.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameer Singh
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781 039 India
| | - Sharad Gokhale
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, 781 039 India
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15
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Adhikari A, Sengupta J, Hussain CM. Declining carbon emission/concentration during COVID-19: A critical review on temporary relief. CARBON TRENDS 2021; 5:100131. [PMID: 38620883 PMCID: PMC8590614 DOI: 10.1016/j.cartre.2021.100131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
In December 2019 the deadly pandemic COVID-19 traumatized mankind through its lethal impact. To seize the outbreak, nationwide/region-based lockdown strategies were adopted by most of the COVID-19 affected countries. This in turn resulted in restricted transportation via surface, water, and air, as well as significantly reduced working hours of the industry sectors, so on and so forth. The obvious outcome was a sudden discernible decline in atmospheric adulteration. Accordingly, the anthropogenic emissions at the global and regional/local scales were examined during the lockdown period by several researchers using both or either satellite-based and ground-based monitoring. Among several other air-contaminants, carbon has a dominant toxicological profile causing adverse health effects and thereby attracting researches interest in carbon-release probing during the systematic confinement period imposed by the ruling authorities across the globe. The results of those studies indicated a confirmed decline in carbon emission/concentration making the air more breathable for the period. In this review, the studies related to anthropogenic emissions of carbon during the lockdown period are accounted for by compiling the recently reported data from published articles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arpita Adhikari
- Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Techno Main Salt Lake, Kolkata 700091, India
| | - Joydip Sengupta
- Department of Electronic Science, Jogesh Chandra Chaudhuri College, Kolkata 700033, India
| | - Chaudhery Mustansar Hussain
- Department of Chemistry and Environmental Science, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, 07102, NJ, USA
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Li H, Huang K, Fu Q, Lin Y, Chen J, Deng C, Tian X, Tang Q, Song Q, Wei Z. Airborne black carbon variations during the COVID-19 lockdown in the Yangtze River Delta megacities suggest actions to curb global warming. ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMISTRY LETTERS 2021; 20:71-80. [PMID: 34566549 PMCID: PMC8454011 DOI: 10.1007/s10311-021-01327-3] [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: 06/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Airborne black carbon is a strong warming component of the atmosphere. Therefore, curbing black carbon emissions should slow down global warming. The 2019 coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) is a unique opportunity for studying the response of black carbon to the varied human activities, in particular due to lockdown policies. Actually, there is few knowledge on the variations of black carbon in China during lockdowns. Here, we studied the concentrations of particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon before, during, and after the lockdown in nine sites of the Yangtze River Delta in Eastern China. Results show 40-60% reduction of PM2.5 and 40-50% reduction of black carbon during the lockdown. The classical bimodal peaks of black carbon in the morning and evening rush hours were highly weakened, indicating the substantial decrease of traffic activities. Contributions from fossil fuels combustion to black carbon decreased about 5-10% during the lockdown. Spatial correlation analysis indicated the clustering of the multi-site black carbon concentrations in the Yangtze River Delta during the lockdown. Overall, control of emissions from traffic and industrial activities should be efficient to curb black carbon levels in the frame of a 'green public transit system' for mega-city clusters such as the Yangtze River Delta. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10311-021-01327-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Li
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - Kan Huang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
- IRDR ICoE On Risk Interconnectivity and Governance On Weather/Climate Extremes Impact and Public Health, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
- Institute of Eco-Chongming (IEC), Shanghai, 202162 China
| | - Qingyan Fu
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030 China
| | - Yanfen Lin
- Shanghai Environmental Monitoring Center, Shanghai, 200030 China
| | - Jia Chen
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - Congrui Deng
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Atmospheric Particle Pollution and Prevention (LAP3), Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433 China
| | - Xudong Tian
- Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou, 310012 Zhejiang China
| | - Qian Tang
- Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou, 310012 Zhejiang China
| | - Qingchuan Song
- Zhejiang Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hangzhou, 310012 Zhejiang China
| | - Zhen Wei
- Anhui Ecological and Environmental Monitoring Center, Hefei, 230071 Anhui China
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Manchanda C, Kumar M, Singh V, Faisal M, Hazarika N, Shukla A, Lalchandani V, Goel V, Thamban N, Ganguly D, Tripathi SN. Variation in chemical composition and sources of PM 2.5 during the COVID-19 lockdown in Delhi. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2021; 153:106541. [PMID: 33845290 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2021.106541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The Government of India (GOI) announced a nationwide lockdown starting 25th March 2020 to contain the spread of COVID-19, leading to an unprecedented decline in anthropogenic activities and, in turn, improvements in ambient air quality. This is the first study to focus on highly time-resolved chemical speciation and source apportionment of PM2.5 to assess the impact of the lockdown and subsequent relaxations on the sources of ambient PM2.5 in Delhi, India. The elemental, organic, and black carbon fractions of PM2.5 were measured at the IIT Delhi campus from February 2020 to May 2020. We report source apportionment results using positive matrix factorization (PMF) of organic and elemental fractions of PM2.5 during the different phases of the lockdown. The resolved sources such as vehicular emissions, domestic coal combustion, and semi-volatile oxygenated organic aerosol (SVOOA) were found to decrease by 96%, 95%, and 86%, respectively, during lockdown phase-1 as compared to pre-lockdown. An unforeseen rise in O3 concentrations with declining NOx levels was observed, similar to other parts of the globe, leading to the low-volatility oxygenated organic aerosols (LVOOA) increasing to almost double the pre-lockdown concentrations during the last phase of the lockdown. The effect of the lockdown was found to be less pronounced on other resolved sources like secondary chloride, power plants, dust-related, hydrocarbon-like organic aerosols (HOA), and biomass burning related emissions, which were also swayed by the changing meteorological conditions during the four lockdown phases. The results presented in this study provide a basis for future emission control strategies, quantifying the extent to which constraining certain anthropogenic activities can ameliorate the ambient air. These results have direct relevance to not only Delhi but the entire Indo-Gangetic plain (IGP), citing similar geographical and meteorological conditions common to the region along with overlapping regional emission sources. SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS: We identify sources like vehicular emissions, domestic coal combustion, and semi-volatile oxygenated organic aerosol (SVOOA) to be severely impacted by the lockdown, whereas ozone levels and, in turn, low-volatility oxygenated organic aerosols (LVOOA) rise by more than 95% compared to the pre-lockdown concentrations during the last phase of the lockdown. However, other sources resolved in this study, like secondary chloride, power plants, dust-related, hydrocarbon-like organic aerosols (HOA), and biomass burning related emissions, were mainly driven by the changes in the meteorological conditions rather than the lockdown.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirag Manchanda
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Mayank Kumar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.
| | - Vikram Singh
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India.
| | - Mohd Faisal
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Naba Hazarika
- Department of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Ashutosh Shukla
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vipul Lalchandani
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Vikas Goel
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Navaneeth Thamban
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Dilip Ganguly
- Centre for Atmospheric Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, India
| | - Sachchida Nand Tripathi
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India.
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Rahman MM, Paul KC, Hossain MA, Ali GGMN, Rahman MS, Thill JC. Machine Learning on the COVID-19 Pandemic, Human Mobility and Air Quality: A Review. IEEE ACCESS : PRACTICAL INNOVATIONS, OPEN SOLUTIONS 2021; 9:72420-72450. [PMID: 34786314 PMCID: PMC8545207 DOI: 10.1109/access.2021.3079121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic is touching every facet of human lives (e.g., public health, education, economy, transportation, and the environment). This novel pandemic and non-pharmaceutical interventions of lockdown and confinement implemented citywide, regionally or nationally are affecting virus transmission, people's travel patterns, and air quality. Many studies have been conducted to predict the diffusion of the COVID-19 disease, assess the impacts of the pandemic on human mobility and on air quality, and assess the impacts of lockdown measures on viral spread with a range of Machine Learning (ML) techniques. This literature review aims to analyze the results from past research to understand the interactions among the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown measures, human mobility, and air quality. The critical review of prior studies indicates that urban form, people's socioeconomic and physical conditions, social cohesion, and social distancing measures significantly affect human mobility and COVID-19 viral transmission. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are inclined to use private transportation for necessary travel to mitigate coronavirus-related health problems. This review study also noticed that COVID-19 related lockdown measures significantly improve air quality by reducing the concentration of air pollutants, which in turn improves the COVID-19 situation by reducing respiratory-related sickness and deaths. It is argued that ML is a powerful, effective, and robust analytic paradigm to handle complex and wicked problems such as a global pandemic. This study also explores the spatio-temporal aspects of lockdown and confinement measures on coronavirus diffusion, human mobility, and air quality. Additionally, we discuss policy implications, which will be helpful for policy makers to take prompt actions to moderate the severity of the pandemic and improve urban environments by adopting data-driven analytic methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md. Mokhlesur Rahman
- The William States Lee College of EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotteNC28223USA
- Department of Urban and Regional PlanningKhulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET)Khulna9203Bangladesh
| | - Kamal Chandra Paul
- Department of Electrical and Computer EngineeringThe William States Lee College of EngineeringUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotteNC28223USA
| | - Md. Amjad Hossain
- Department of Computer Science, Mathematics and EngineeringShepherd UniversityShepherdstownWV25443USA
| | - G. G. Md. Nawaz Ali
- Department of Applied Computer ScienceUniversity of CharlestonCharlestonWV25304USA
| | - Md. Shahinoor Rahman
- Department of Earth and Environmental SciencesNew Jersey City UniversityJersey CityNJ07305USA
| | - Jean-Claude Thill
- Department of Geography and Earth SciencesSchool of Data ScienceUniversity of North Carolina at CharlotteCharlotteNC28223USA
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One-Year Real-Time Measurement of Black Carbon in the Rural Area of Qingdao, Northeastern China: Seasonal Variations, Meteorological Effects, and the COVID-19 Case Analysis. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12030394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we report the results obtained from one year of real-time measurement (i.e., from December 2019 to November 2020) of atmospheric black carbon (BC) under a rural environment in Qingdao of Northeastern China. The annual average concentration of BC was 1.92 ± 1.89 μg m−3. The highest average concentration of BC was observed in winter (3.65 ± 2.66 μg m−3), followed by fall (1.73 ± 1.33 μg m−3), spring (1.53 ± 1.33 μg m−3), and summer (0.83 ± 0.56 μg m−3). A clear weekend effect was observed in winter, which was characterized by higher BC concentration (4.60 ± 2.86 μg m−3) during the weekend rather than that (3.22 ± 2.45 μg m−3) during weekdays. The influence of meteorological parameters, including surface horizontal wind speed, boundary layer height (BLH), and precipitation, on BC, was investigated. In particular, such BLH influence presented evidently seasonal dependence, while there was no significant seasonality for horizontal wind speed. These may reflect different roles of atmospheric vertical dilution on affecting BC in different seasons. The △BC/△CO ratio decreased with the increase of precipitation, indicative of the influence of below-cloud wet removal of BC, especially during summertime where rainfall events more frequently occurred than any of other seasons. The bivariate-polar-plot analysis showed that the high BC concentrations were mainly associated with low wind speed in all seasons, highlighting an important BC source originated from local emissions. By using concentration-weighted trajectory analysis, it was found that regional transports, especially from northeastern in winter, could not be negligible for contributing to BC pollution in rural Qingdao. In the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID−19) case analysis, we observed an obvious increase in the BC/NO2 ratio during the COVID-19 lockdown, supporting the significant non-traffic source sector (such as residential coal combustion) for BC in rural Qingdao.
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