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Asensio C, Pavón I, de Arcas G. How the COVID-19 Pandemic Muted and Remixed the World's Acoustics for a While. CURRENT POLLUTION REPORTS 2022; 8:328-340. [PMID: 36258901 PMCID: PMC9561339 DOI: 10.1007/s40726-022-00236-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to analyze the effects of the pandemic on the world's sound environment. RECENT FINDINGS The confinements associated with the pandemic led to a reduction in sound levels worldwide and a change in the perception of soundscapes in the absence of traffic noise and human-generated noise. SUMMARY In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries and regions around the world adopted a series of interventions in 2020 that have been referred to as "lockdown" or "confinement." These sets of restrictions had a clear and obvious consequence derived from the absence of people in the streets and the reduction of daily activity and commuting, which caused an unprecedented silencing on a large scale. Along with the silence that ensued, the pandemic and the confinements affected acoustics and our relationship with sounds on different scales. In the cities, this phenomenon had a strong reduction in acoustic intensity due to the absence of vehicles on the streets. Perhaps this was more perceptible in our neighborhoods, with notable changes in their soundscapes, first due to the absence of people in the streets and later due to more outdoor activity derived from the fear of the spread of the virus in indoor spaces. The longer periods of time spent in our homes during the lockdowns also highlighted the importance of sound insulation in buildings and the acoustic conditioning of our schools or homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Asensio
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research Group), Madrid, Spain
| | - Ignacio Pavón
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research Group), Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo de Arcas
- Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research Group), Madrid, Spain
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2
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Briz-Redón Á, Belenguer-Sapiña C, Serrano-Aroca Á. A city-level analysis of PM 2.5 pollution, climate and COVID-19 early spread in Spain. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE & ENGINEERING 2022; 20:395-403. [PMID: 35018223 PMCID: PMC8734552 DOI: 10.1007/s40201-022-00786-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/01/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
PURPUSE The COVID-19 outbreak has escalated into the worse pandemic of the present century. The fast spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has caused devastating health and economic crises all over the world, with Spain being one of the worst affected countries in terms of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths per inhabitant. In this situation, the Spanish Government declared the lockdown of the country. METHODS The variations of air pollution in terms of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels in seven representative cities of Spain are analyzed here considering the effect of meteorology during the national lockdown. The possible associations of PM2.5 pollution and climate with COVID-19 accumulated cases were also analyzed. RESULTS While the epidemic curve was flattened, the results of the analysis show that the 4-week Spanish lockdown significantly reduced the PM2.5 levels in only one city despite the drastically reduced human activity. Furthermore, no associations between either PM2.5 exposure or environmental conditions and COVID-19 transmission were found during the early spread of the pandemic. CONCLUSIONS A longer period applying human activity restrictions is necessary in order to achieve significant reductions of PM2.5 levels in all the analyzed cities. No effect of PM2.5 pollution or weather on COVID-19 incidence was found for these pollutant levels and period of time. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40201-022-00786-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Briz-Redón
- Statistics Office, City Council of Valencia, c/Arquebisbe Mayoral, 2, Valencia, 46002 Spain
| | - Carolina Belenguer-Sapiña
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Valencia, c/Doctor Moliner 50, Burjassot, Valencia 46100 Spain
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional San Alberto Magno Mártir, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente, c/Guillem de Castro 94, Valencia, 46001 Spain
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3
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Shepherd M. The Curious Relationship Between COVID-19 Lockdowns and Urban Heat Islands. GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS 2022; 49:e2022GL098198. [PMID: 35601503 PMCID: PMC9111280 DOI: 10.1029/2022gl098198] [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: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a life-altering shock to society. However, there have been serendipitous outcomes from the associated lockdowns ranging from improved air quality to reductions in carbon emissions. Liu et al. (2022, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GL096842) revealed that even the magnitude of the heat islands in Chinese cities were reduced due to a decline in human activities and their associated anthropogenic contributions. These surprising findings have significant implications for understanding intersections among climate, health, energy, urban planning, transportation, and infrastructure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marshall Shepherd
- Department of GeographyAtmospheric Sciences ProgramUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGAUSA
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4
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Wang Y, Wu R, Liu L, Yuan Y, Liu C, Hang Ho SS, Ren H, Wang Q, Lv Y, Yan M, Cao J. Differential health and economic impacts from the COVID-19 lockdown between the developed and developing countries: Perspective on air pollution. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 293:118544. [PMID: 34801622 PMCID: PMC8601204 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
It is enlightening to determine the discrepancies and potential reasons for the degree of impact from the COVID-19 control measures on air quality as well as the associated health and economic impacts. Analysis of air quality, socio-economic factors, and meteorological data from 447 cities in 46 countries indicated that the COVID-19 control measures had significant impacts on the PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 μm) concentrations in 20 (reduced PM2.5 concentrations of -7.4-29.1 μg m-3) of the selected 46 countries. In these 20 countries, the robustly distinguished changes in the PM2.5 concentrations caused by the control measures differed between the developed (95% confidence interval (CI): -2.7-5.5 μg m-3) and developing countries (95% CI: 8.3-23.2 μg m-3). As a result, the COVID-19 lockdown reduced death and hospital admissions change from the decreased PM2.5 concentrations by 7909 and 82,025 cases in the 12 developing countries, and by 78 and 1214 cases in the eight developed countries. The COVID-19 lockdown reduced the economic cost from the PM2.5 related health burden by 54.0 million dollars in the 12 developing countries and by 8.3 million dollars in the eight developed countries. The disparity was related to the different chemical compositions of PM2.5. In particular, the concentrations of primary PM2.5 (e.g., BC) in cities of developing countries were 3-45 times higher than those in developed countries, so the mass concentration of PM2.5 was more sensitive to the reduced local emissions in developing countries during the COVID-19 control period. The mass fractions of secondary PM2.5 in developed countries were generally higher than those in developing countries. As a result, these countries were more sensitive to the secondary atmospheric processing that may have been enhanced due to reduced local emissions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yichen Wang
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China.
| | - Rui Wu
- School of Business, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, 210023, China
| | - Lang Liu
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Yuan Yuan
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - ChenGuang Liu
- School of Public Policy and Administration, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi'an, 710129, China
| | - Steven Sai Hang Ho
- Division of Atmosphere Sciences, Desert Research Institute, Reno, NV, 89512, United States
| | - Honghao Ren
- School of Management Science and Engineering, Shanxi University of Finance and Economics, Taiyuan, 030006, China
| | - Qiyuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Yang Lv
- School of Government Administration, Central University of Finance and Economics, Beijing, 100081, China
| | - Mengyuan Yan
- Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Junji Cao
- Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China
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5
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Celik E, Gul M. How Covid-19 pandemic and partial lockdown decisions affect air quality of a city? The case of Istanbul, Turkey. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2022; 24:1616-1654. [PMID: 33776552 PMCID: PMC7988252 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01328-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The world is currently struggling with a new type of coronavirus (2019-nCoV) pandemic that first appeared in Wuhan, China, and then spread to almost all countries. As in other countries of the world, public authorities in Turkey are implementing many preventive and mitigating partial lockdown (PL) actions against the virus's effects. Some decisions and policies implemented before and after March 11, 2020, when the first virus case has been identified, have reduced people and traffic circulation, which has also turned into some improvements in air quality. At this point, this study aims to investigate how this pandemic affects the air quality of a metropolis. A case study of the city of Istanbul, the most affected city with more than half of Turkey's cases, is performed. In our analysis, we observe, compare, and discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and PL decisions on Istanbul city's air quality. We consider the particulate matter (PM10), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), nitrogen oxide (NO), nitrogen oxides (NOx), and ozone (O3) concentrations. We used data from 19 air monitoring stations (AMSs) and obtained improvements in the air quality for the pandemic period. In summary, the concentration levels in PM10, NO2, NO, and NOx result in a clear decline in pandemic times compared to the normal times in Istanbul. On the other hand, a non-homogenous trend for SO2 and CO concentrations is observed for different AMSs. A partial increase in O2 concentration is obtained in the comparison of before and during the PL period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Celik
- Department of Transportation and
Logistics, Istanbul University, 34322 Avcılar, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Muhammet Gul
- Department of Emergency Aid and Disaster Management, Munzur University, 62000 Tunceli, Turkey
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6
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Chowdhury RB, Khan A, Mahiat T, Dutta H, Tasmeea T, Binth Arman AB, Fardu F, Roy BB, Hossain MM, Khan NA, Amin ATMN, Sujauddin M. Environmental externalities of the COVID-19 lockdown: Insights for sustainability planning in the Anthropocene. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 783:147015. [PMID: 34088121 PMCID: PMC9616981 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147015] [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: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 03/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/04/2021] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has abruptly halted the Anthropocene's ever-expanding reign for the time being. The resulting global human confinement, dubbed as the Anthropause, has created an unprecedented opportunity for us to evaluate the environmental consequences of large-scale changes in anthropogenic activities. Based on a methodical and in-depth review of related literature, this study critically evaluates the positive and negative externalities of COVID-19 induced lockdown on environmental components including air, water, noise, waste, forest, wildlife, and biodiversity. Among adverse impacts of the lockdown, increased amount of healthcare waste (300-400%), increased level of atmospheric ozone (30-300%), elevated levels of illicit felling in forests and wildlife poaching were prominent. Compared to the negative impacts, significant positive changes in various quality parameters related to key environmental components were evident. Positive impacts on air quality, water quality, noise level, waste generation, and wildlife were apparent in varying degrees as evaluated in this study. By presenting a critical overview of the recommendations given in the major literature in light of these documented impacts, this paper alludes to potential policy reforms as a guideline for future sustainable environmental management planning. Some of the key recommendations are e.g., enhance remote working facilities, cleaner design, use of internet of things, automation, systematic lockdown, and inclusion of hazardous waste management in disaster planning. The summarized lessons of this review, pertinent to the dynamic relationship between anthropogenic activities and environmental degradation, amply bring home the need for policy reforms and prioritization of Sustainable Development Goals in the context of the planetary boundaries to the environmental sustainability for a new post-pandemic world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayushi Khan
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Tashfia Mahiat
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Tahana Tasmeea
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Afra Bashira Binth Arman
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Farzin Fardu
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Bidhan Bhuson Roy
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Department of Wood Science, Faculty of Forestry, The University of British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Niaz Ahmed Khan
- Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh; Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - A T M Nurul Amin
- Department of Economics and Social Sciences, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad Sujauddin
- Department of Environmental Science and Management, North South University, Bashundhara, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
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7
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Parida BR, Bar S, Roberts G, Mandal SP, Pandey AC, Kumar M, Dash J. Improvement in air quality and its impact on land surface temperature in major urban areas across India during the first lockdown of the pandemic. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 199:111280. [PMID: 34029544 PMCID: PMC9189601 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
The SARS CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic and the enforced lockdown have reduced the use of surface and air transportation. This study investigates the impact of the lockdown restrictions in India on atmospheric composition, using Sentinel-5Ps retrievals of tropospheric NO2 concentration and ground-station measurements of NO2 and PM2.5 between March-May in 2019 and 2020. Detailed analysis of the changes to atmospheric composition are carried out over six major urban areas (i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad) by comparing Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) and land surface temperature (LST) measurements in the lockdown year 2020 and pre-lockdown (2015-2019). Satellite-based data showed that NO2 concentration reduced by 18% (Kolkata), 29% (Hyderabad), 32-34% (Chennai, Mumbai, and Bangalore), and 43% (Delhi). Surface-based concentrations of NO2, PM2.5, and AOD also substantially dropped by 32-74%, 10-42%, and 8-34%, respectively over these major cities during the lockdown period and co-located with the intensity of anthropogenic activity. Only a smaller fraction of the reduction of pollutants was associated with meteorological variability. A substantial negative anomaly was found for LST both in the day (-0.16 °C to -1 °C) and night (-0.63 °C to -2.1 °C) across select all cities, which was also consistent with air temperature measurements. The decreases in LST could be associated with a reduction in pollutants, greenhouse gases and water vapor content. Improvement in air quality with lower urban temperatures due to lockdown may be a temporary effect, but it provides a crucial connection among human activities, air pollution, aerosols, radiative flux, and temperature. The lockdown for a shorter-period showed a significant improvement in environmental quality and provides a strong evidence base for larger scale policy implementation to improve air quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bikash Ranjan Parida
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835222, India.
| | - Somnath Bar
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835222, India
| | - Gareth Roberts
- Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
| | - Shyama Prasad Mandal
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835222, India
| | - Arvind Chandra Pandey
- Department of Geoinformatics, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835222, India
| | - Manoj Kumar
- Department of Environmental Sciences, School of Natural Resource Management, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi, 835222, India
| | - Jadunandan Dash
- Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton, SO17 1BJ, United Kingdom
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8
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Chadwick E, Le K, Pei Z, Sayahi T, Rapp C, Butterfield AE, Kelly KE. Technical note: Understanding the effect of COVID-19 on particle pollution using a low-cost sensor network. JOURNAL OF AEROSOL SCIENCE 2021; 155:105766. [PMID: 33897001 PMCID: PMC8054662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaerosci.2021.105766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
The 2020 coronavirus pandemic and the following quarantine measures have led to significant changes in daily life worldwide. Preliminary research indicates that air quality has improved in many urban areas as a result of these measures. This study takes a neighborhood-scale approach to quantifying this change in pollution. Using data from a network of citizen-hosted, low-cost particulate matter (PM) sensors, called Air Quality & yoU (AQ&U), we obtained high-spatial resolution measurements compared to the relatively sparse state monitoring stations. We compared monthly average estimated PM2.5 concentrations from February 11 to May 11, 2019 at 71 unique locations in Salt Lake County, UT, USA with the same (71) sensors' measurements during the same timeframe in 2020. A paired t-test showed significant reductions (71.1% and 21.3%) in estimated monthly PM2.5 concentrations from 2019 to 2020 for the periods from March 11-April 10 and April 11-May 10, respectively. The March time period corresponded to the most stringent COVID-19 related restrictions in this region. Significant decreases in PM2.5 were also reported by state monitoring sites during March (p < 0.001 compared to the previous 5-year average). While we observed decreases in PM2.5 concentrations across the valley in 2020, it is important to note that the PM2.5 concentrations did not improve equally in all locations. We observed the greatest reductions at lower elevation, more urbanized areas, likely because of the already low levels of PM2.5 at the higher elevation, more residential areas, which were generally below 2 μg/m3 in both 2019 and 2020. Although many of measurements during March and April were near or below the estimated detection limit of the low-cost PM sensors and the federal equivalent measurements, every low-cost sensor (51) showed a reduction in PM2.5 concentration in March of 2020 compared to 2019. These results suggest that the air quality improvement seen after March 11, 2020 is due to quarantine measures reducing traffic and decreasing pollutant emissions in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Chadwick
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - K Le
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Z Pei
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - T Sayahi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - C Rapp
- Department of Atmospheric Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - A E Butterfield
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - K E Kelly
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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9
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A Biplot-Based PCA Approach to Study the Relations between Indoor and Outdoor Air Pollutants Using Case Study Buildings. BUILDINGS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/buildings11050218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The 24 h and 14-day relationship between indoor and outdoor PM2.5, PM10, NO2, relative humidity, and temperature were assessed for an elementary school (site 1), a laboratory (site 2), and a residential unit (site 3) in Gainesville city, Florida. The primary aim of this study was to introduce a biplot-based PCA approach to visualize and validate the correlation among indoor and outdoor air quality data. The Spearman coefficients showed a stronger correlation among these target environmental measurements on site 1 and site 2, while it showed a weaker correlation on site 3. The biplot-based PCA regression performed higher dependency for site 1 and site 2 (p < 0.001) when compared to the correlation values and showed a lower dependency for site 3. The results displayed a mismatch between the biplot-based PCA and correlation analysis for site 3. The method utilized in this paper can be implemented in studies and analyzes high volumes of multiple building environmental measurements along with optimized visualization.
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10
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Sannigrahi S, Kumar P, Molter A, Zhang Q, Basu B, Basu AS, Pilla F. Examining the status of improved air quality in world cities due to COVID-19 led temporary reduction in anthropogenic emissions. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110927. [PMID: 33675798 PMCID: PMC9749922 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Clean air is a fundamental necessity for human health and well-being. Anthropogenic emissions that are harmful to human health have been reduced substantially under COVID-19 lockdown. Satellite remote sensing for air pollution assessments can be highly effective in public health research because of the possibility of estimating air pollution levels over large scales. In this study, we utilized both satellite and surface measurements to estimate air pollution levels in 20 cities across the world. Google Earth Engine (GEE) and Sentinel-5 Precursor TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) application were used for both spatial and time-series assessment of tropospheric Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) and Carbon Monoxide (CO) statuses during the study period (1 February to May 11, 2019 and the corresponding period in 2020). We also measured Population-Weighted Average Concentration (PWAC) of particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) and NO2 using gridded population data and in-situ air pollution estimates. We estimated the economic benefit of reduced anthropogenic emissions using two valuation approaches: (1) the median externality value coefficient approach, applied for satellite data, and (2) the public health burden approach, applied for in-situ data. Satellite data have shown that ~28 tons (sum of 20 cities) of NO2 and ~184 tons (sum of 20 cities) of CO have been reduced during the study period. PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 are reduced by ~37 (μg/m3), 62 (μg/m3), and 145 (μg/m3), respectively. A total of ~1310, ~401, and ~430 premature cause-specific deaths were estimated to be avoided with the reduction of NO2, PM2.5, and PM10. The total economic benefits (Billion US$) (sum of 20 cities) of the avoided mortality are measured as ~10, ~3.1, and ~3.3 for NO2, PM2.5, and PM10, respectively. In many cases, ground monitored data was found inadequate for detailed spatial assessment. This problem can be better addressed by incorporating satellite data into the evaluation if proper quality assurance is achieved, and the data processing burden can be alleviated or even removed. Both satellite and ground-based estimates suggest the positive effect of the limited human interference on the natural environments. Further research in this direction is needed to explore this synergistic association more explicitly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanta Sannigrahi
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland.
| | - 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; Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Anna Molter
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland; Department of Geography, School of Environment, Education and Development, The University of Manchester, USA
| | - Qi Zhang
- Department of Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA; Frederick S. Pardee Center for the Study of the Longer-Range Future, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Bidroha Basu
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland
| | - Arunima Sarkar Basu
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland
| | - Francesco Pilla
- School of Architecture, Planning and Environmental Policy, University College Dublin Richview, Clonskeagh, Dublin, D14 E099, Ireland
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11
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Alqasemi AS, Hereher ME, Kaplan G, Al-Quraishi AMF, Saibi H. Impact of COVID-19 lockdown upon the air quality and surface urban heat island intensity over the United Arab Emirates. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 767:144330. [PMID: 33434848 PMCID: PMC7833878 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144330] [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: 10/13/2020] [Revised: 11/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The 2019 pandemic of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus Diseases (COVID-19) has posed a substantial threat to public health and major global economic losses. The Northern Emirates of the United Arab Emirates (NEUAE) had imposed intense preventive lockdown measures. On the first of April 2020, a lockdown was implemented. It was assumed, due to lower emissions, that the air quality and Surface Urban Heat Island Intensity (SUHII) had been strengthened significantly. In this research, three parameters for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD), and SUHII variables were examined through the NEUAE. we evaluated the percentage of the change in these parameters as revealed by satellite data for 2 cycles in 2019 (March 1st to June 30th) and 2020 (March 1st to June 30th). The core results showed that during lockdown periods, the average of NO2, AOD, and SUHII levels declined by 23.7%, 3.7%, and 19.2%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2019. Validation for results demonstrates a high agreement between the predicted and measured values. The agreement was as high as R2=0.7, R2=0.6, and R2=0.68 for NO2, AOD, and night LST, respectively, indicating significant positive linear correlations. The current study concludes that due to declining automobile and industrial emissions in the NEUAE, the lockdown initiatives substantially lowered NO2, AOD, and SUHII. In addition, the aerosols did not alter significantly since they are often linked to the natural occurrence of dust storms throughout this time of the year. The pandemic is likely to influence several policy decisions to introduce strategies to control air pollution and SUHII. Lockdown experiences may theoretically play a key role in the future as a possible solution for air pollution and SUHII abatement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abduldaem S Alqasemi
- Geography and Urban Sustainability, College of Humanities & Social Science, UAEU, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates.
| | - Mohamed E Hereher
- Geography Department, College of Arts and Social Sciences, Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, Oman; Environmental Sciences Dept., Faculty of Science, Damietta University, New Damietta, Egypt
| | - Gordana Kaplan
- Institute of Earth and Space Sciences, Eskisehir Technical University, Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - Ayad M Fadhil Al-Quraishi
- Surveying and Geomatics Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Tishk International University, Erbil, Kurdistan Region, Iraq
| | - Hakim Saibi
- Geology Department, College of Science, United Arab Emirates University, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates
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12
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Air Quality in Southeast Brazil during COVID-19 Lockdown: A Combined Satellite and Ground-Based Data Analysis. ATMOSPHERE 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos12050583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
With the current COVID-19 pandemic being spread all over the world, lockdown measures are being implemented, making air pollution levels go down in several countries. In this context, the air quality changes in the highly populated and trafficked Brazilian states of São Paulo (SP) and Rio de Janeiro (RJ) were addressed using a combination of satellite and ground-based daily data analysis. We explored nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) daily levels for the month of May from 2015–2020. Daily measurements of NO2 column concentrations from the Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aboard NASA’s Aura satellite were analyzed and decreases of 42% and 49.6% were found for SP and RJ, respectively, during the year 2020 compared to the 2015–2019 average. Besides NO2 column retrievals, ground-based data measured by the Brazilian States Environmental Institutions were analyzed and correlated with satellite retrievals. Correlation coefficients between year-to-year changes in satellite column and ground-based concentrations were 77% and 53% in SP and RJ, respectively. Ground-based data showed 13.3% and 18.8% decrease in NO2 levels for SP and RJ, respectively, in 2020 compared to 2019. In SP, no significant change in PM2.5 was observed in 2020 compared to 2019. To further isolate the effect of emissions reduction due to the lockdown, meteorological data and number of wildfire hotspots were analyzed. NO2 concentrations showed negative and positive correlations with wind speed and temperature, respectively. PM2.5 concentration distributions suggested an influence by the wildfires in the southeast region of the country. Synergistic analyses of satellite retrievals, surface level concentrations, and weather data provide a more complete picture of changes to pollutant levels.
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13
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Bassani C, Vichi F, Esposito G, Montagnoli M, Giusto M, Ianniello A. Nitrogen dioxide reductions from satellite and surface observations during COVID-19 mitigation in Rome (Italy). ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:22981-23004. [PMID: 33433830 PMCID: PMC7801795 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-020-12141-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Lockdown restrictions were implemented in Italy from 10 March 2020 to contain the COVID-19 pandemic. Our study aims to evaluate air pollution changes, with focus on nitrogen dioxide (NO2), before and during the lockdown in Rome and in the surroundings. Significant NO2 declines were observed during the COVID-19 pandemic with reductions of - 50%, - 34%, and - 20% at urban traffic, urban background, and rural background stations, respectively. Tropospheric NO2 vertical column density (VCD) from the TROPOspheric Monitoring Instrument (TROPOMI) was used to evaluate the spatial-temporal variations of the NO2 before and during the lockdown for the entire area where the surface stations are located. The evaluation is concerned with the pixels including one or more air quality stations to explore the capability of the unprecedented high spatial resolution to monitor urban and rural sites from space with relation to the surface measurements. Good agreement between surface concentration and TROPOMI VCD was obtained in Rome (R = 0.64 in 2019, R = 0.77 in 2020) and in rural sites (R = 0.71 in 2019). Inversely, a slight correlation (R = 0.20) was observed in rural areas during the lockdown due to very low levels of NO2. Finally, the TROPOMI VCD showed a sharp decline in NO2, larger in urban (- 43%) than in rural sites (- 17%) as retrieved with the concurrent surface measurements averaging all the traffic and urban background (- 44%) and all the rural background stations (- 20%). These results suggest air pollution improvement in Rome gained from implementing lockdown restrictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristiana Bassani
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy.
| | - Francesca Vichi
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy
| | - Giulio Esposito
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy
| | - Mauro Montagnoli
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Giusto
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy
| | - Antonietta Ianniello
- CNR - Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research, Via Salaria Km 29.3, CP10, 00015 Monterotondo S., Rome, Italy
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14
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Evaluating the Environmental Impacts of Personal Protective Equipment Use by the General Population during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Lombardy (Northern Italy). ENVIRONMENTS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/environments8040033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The diffusion of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) impacted the whole world, changing the life habits of billions of people. These changes caused an abundant increase in personal protective equipment (PPE, e.g., masks and gloves) use by the general population, which can become a concerning issue of plastic pollution. This study aims to evaluate the negative effects of the abundant PPE use following the COVID-19 diffusion using the test site of the Lombardy region, an area highly affected by the pandemic. Population data were retrieved from national databases, and the COVID-19 national guidelines were considered to estimate the total use of PPEs during 2020. Then, the quantity of waste derived from their use was evaluated based on the weight of PPEs. As well, possible scenarios for 2021 were proposed based on 2020 estimations. The results suggested different negative effects of the diffusion of PPEs both on waste management and on the environment: The abundant increase in PPEs-derived waste caused an increase in terms of costs for management, and the potential direct spreading in the environment of these materials (especially masks) poses a serious threat for an increase in microplastics in water bodies. Following this evaluation, a careful choice regarding COVID-19 measures of containment should be performed especially by the general population, avoiding contagion diffusion and reducing the possible environmental impact derived from disposable PPE use.
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15
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Could Air Quality Get Better during Epidemic Prevention and Control in China? An Analysis Based on Regression Discontinuity Design. LAND 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/land10040373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Though many scholars and practitioners are paying more attention to the health and life of the public after the COVID-19 outbreak, extant literature has so far failed to explore the variation of ambient air quality during this pandemic. The current study attempts to fill the gap by disentangling the causal effects of epidemic prevention on air quality in China, measured by the individual pollutant dimensionless index, from other confounding factors. Using the fixed effects model, this article finds that five air indicators, PM2.5, PM10, CO, NO2, and SO2, significantly improved during the shutdown period, with NO2 showing the most improvement. On the contrary, O3 shows an inverse pattern, that is, O3 gets worse unexpectedly. The positive impact of epidemic prevention on air quality, especially in terms of PM2.5, PM10, and NO2, become manifest five days after the resumption of labor, indicated by the result of a regression discontinuity design. These findings are still robust and consistent after the dataset of 2019 as a counterfactual sample is utilized. The findings of this paper make contributions to both environmental governance and pandemic prevention, with relevant guidelines regarding the health and life of the public and governmental behavioral management strategies discussed.
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16
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Kolluru SSR, Patra AK, Nazneen, Shiva Nagendra SM. Association of air pollution and meteorological variables with COVID-19 incidence: Evidence from five megacities in India. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 195:110854. [PMID: 33561448 PMCID: PMC7866844 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110854] [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: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 08/15/2023]
Abstract
Although lockdown of the industrial and transport sector and stay at home advisories to counter the COVID-19 pandemic have shown that the air quality has improved during this time, very little is known about the role of ambient air pollutants and meteorology in facilitating its transmission. This paper presents the findings from a study that was conducted to evaluate whether air quality index (AQI), three primary pollutants (PM2.5, PM10 and CO), Ground level ozone (O3) and three meteorological variables (temperature, relative humidity, wind speed) have promoted the COVID-19 transmission in five megacities of India. The results show significant correlation of PM2.5, PM10, CO, O3 concentrations, AQI and meteorological parameters with the confirmed cases and deaths during the lockdown period. Among the meteorological variables considered, temperature strongly correlated with the COVID-19 cases and deaths during the lockdown (r=0.54;0.25) and unlock period (r=0.66;0.25). Among the pollutants, ozone, and among the meteorological variables, temperature, explained the highest variability, up to 34% and 30% respectively, for COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. AQI was not a significant parameter for explaining the variations in confirmed and death cases. WS and RH could explain 10-11% and 4-6% variations of COVID-19 cases. A GLM model could explain 74% and 35% variability for confirmed cases and deaths during the lockdown and 66% and 19% variability during the unlock period. The results suggest that meteorological parameters may have promoted the COVID-19 incidences, especially the confirmed cases. Our findings may encourage future studies to explore more about the role of ambient air pollutants and meteorology on transmission of COVID-19 and similar infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soma Sekhara Rao Kolluru
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
| | - Aditya Kumar Patra
- Department of Mining Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India.
| | - Nazneen
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India
| | - S M Shiva Nagendra
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India
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17
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Briz-Redón Á, Belenguer-Sapiña C, Serrano-Aroca Á. Changes in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain: A multi-city study. J Environ Sci (China) 2021; 101:16-26. [PMID: 33334512 PMCID: PMC7402215 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2020.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has escalated into one of the largest crises of the 21st Century. The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, responsible for COVID-19, has spread rapidly all around the world. The Spanish Government was forced to declare a nationwide lockdown in view of the rapidly spreading virus and high mortality rate in the nation. This study investigated the impact of short-term lockdown during the period from March 15th to April 12th 2020 on the atmospheric levels of CO, SO2, PM10, O3, and NO2 over 11 representative Spanish cities. The possible influence of several meteorological factors (temperature, precipitation, wind, sunlight hours, minimum and maximum pressure) on the pollutants' levels were also considered. The results obtained show that the 4-week lockdown had significant impact on reducing the atmospheric levels of NO2 in all cities except for the small city of Santander as well as CO, SO2, and PM10 in some cities, but resulted in increase of O3 level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Álvaro Briz-Redón
- Statistics Office, City Council of Valencia, c/Arquebisbe Mayoral, 2, 46002 Valencia, Valencia, Spain
| | - Carolina Belenguer-Sapiña
- Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Valencia, c/Doctor Moliner 50, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Centro de Investigación Traslacional San Alberto Magno, Universidad Católica de Valencia San Vicente Mártir, c/Guillem de Castro 94, 46001 Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
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18
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Dumka UC, Kaskaoutis DG, Verma S, Ningombam SS, Kumar S, Ghosh S. Silver linings in the dark clouds of COVID-19: Improvement of air quality over India and Delhi metropolitan area from measurements and WRF-CHIMERE model simulations. ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION RESEARCH 2021; 12:225-242. [PMID: 36915905 PMCID: PMC9996264 DOI: 10.1016/j.apr.2020.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The current study examines the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown (25th March until May 17, 2020) period in particulate matter (PM) concentrations and air pollutants (NOx, SO2, CO, NH3, and O3) at 63 stations located at Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana states within the Delhi-NCR, India. Large average reductions are recorded between the stations in each state such as PM10 (-46 to -58%), PM2.5 (-49 to -55%), NO2 (-27 to -58%), NO (-54% to -59%), CO (-4 to -44%), NH3 (-2 to -38%), while a slight increase is observed for O3 (+4 to +6%) during the lockdown period compared to same periods in previous years. Furthermore, PM and air pollutants are significantly reduced during lockdown compared to the respective period in previous years, while a significant increase in pollution levels is observed after the re-opening of economy. The meteorological changes were rather marginal between the examined periods in order to justify such large reductions in pollution levels, which are mostly attributed to traffic-related pollutants (NOx, CO and road-dust PM). The WRF-CHIMERE model simulations reveal a remarkable reduction in PM2.5, NO2 and SO2 levels over whole Indian subcontinent and mostly over urban areas, due to limitation in emissions from the traffic and industrial sectors. A PM2.5 reduction of -48% was simulated in Delhi in great consistency with measurements, rendering the model as a powerful tool for simulations of lower pollution levels during lockdown period.
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Affiliation(s)
- U C Dumka
- Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences, Nainital, 263001, India
| | - D G Kaskaoutis
- Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Palaia Penteli, 15236, Athens, Greece
- Environmental Chemical Processes Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Crete, 71003, Crete, Greece
| | - Shubha Verma
- Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
| | | | - Sarvan Kumar
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Prof. Rajendra Singh (Rajju Bhaiya) Institute of Physical Sciences for Study and Research, Veer Bahadur Singh Purvanchal University, Jaunpur, 222003, Uttar Pradesh, India
| | - Sanhita Ghosh
- Advanced Technology Development Centre, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, 721302, India
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19
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Wang Q, Li S. Nonlinear impact of COVID-19 on pollutions - Evidence from Wuhan, New York, Milan, Madrid, Bandra, London, Tokyo and Mexico City. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2021; 65:102629. [PMID: 35702662 PMCID: PMC9183786 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The majority of existing COVID-19 and pollution research are from a linear perspective, ignoring the nonlinear relationship between COVID-19 and pollution. This work is aimed to systematically investigate the nonlinear impact of COVID-19 lockdown on four typical pollutants (NO2, PM2.5, O3 and SO2) in the selected eight cities (Wuhan of China, New York of the United States, Milan of Italy, Madrid of Spain, Bandra of India, London of United Kingdom, Tokyo of Japan and Mexico City of Mexico) using the updated data and spearman correlation function model. To a certain extent, the global lockdown caused by the coronavirus only reduces nitrogen dioxide and particles, but does not reduce ozone . Specifically, compared with the average concentration in the same period from 2017 to 2019, NO2 in 2020 decreased by 40-50 %, PM2.5 in 2020 decreased by 10-30 %, O3 in 2020 increased by 17-20 % and SO2 in 2020 increased slightly. In addition, the changes of new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and change of pollutants were not synchronized. On the contrary, there was a 0-7 days lag between the new confirmed cases and changes of pollutants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- Qingdao Institute of Humanities and Social Science, Shandong University, No. 72 Bin hai Road, Jimo District, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic China
| | - Shuyu Li
- School of Economics and Management, China University of Petroleum (East China), Qingdao, Shandong, 266580, People's Republic China
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20
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Lee K. Pandemics, Mitigation Measures, and Environment. ENVIRONMENTAL & RESOURCE ECONOMICS 2021; 78:353-374. [PMID: 33519088 PMCID: PMC7822760 DOI: 10.1007/s10640-020-00535-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED The paper studies the effects of mitigation measures on environment during a pandemic. Various mitigation measures such as business closures have been imposed to reduce health risks. Such measures also limit economic activities and reduce emissions. Measures disproportionately affect the contact-intensive sectors such as the leisure and hospitality industry, as their economic activities involve more person-to-person interactions. Thus, the extent of emission reduction depends on the severity of a measure and the size of the contact-intensive sectors. Using data on business and restaurant closures, school closures and bans on gatherings across 50 U.S. states during the Covid-19 pandemic, an empirical analysis shows that emissions decrease more in states with a more stringent measure and a larger share of the contact-intensive sectors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10640-020-00535-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kangoh Lee
- Department of Economics, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-4485 USA
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21
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Air quality index and criteria pollutants in ambient atmosphere over selected sites:Impact and lessons to learn from COVID-19. ENVIRONMENTAL RESILIENCE AND TRANSFORMATION IN TIMES OF COVID-19 2021. [PMCID: PMC8137507 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-323-85512-9.00003-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
World Health Organization (WHO) declared the disease COVID-19, caused by novel virus SARS-CoV-2, as pandemic in March 2020 following which different countries adopted immediate stringent measures to save human lives. In order to restrict the spread of disease, intra- and interstate movements of public by road/rail and air were completely halted except for those involved in essential services. India followed the option of complete lockdown (LD) in phase 1 (25th March to 14th April 2020) followed by phase 2 (15th April to 3rd May), phase 3 (4th May to 17th May), and phase 4 (18th May to 31st May 2020). Restrictions on agriculture and industrial sector were eased out in each successive phase after LD 1 and eventually country started unlock phase from 1st June to 30th June and so on. In this chapter, a discussion is made based on the data on criteria pollutants and air quality index (AQI) for selected sites in New Delhi and for selected cities across the country, respectively to spell out impacts of COVID-19 (which are initially positive) and the lessons for long-term planning for improvement of air quality. During LD 1, emissions from vehicles, industries, and construction activities were substantially down and therefore, levels of criteria pollutants CO, NOx, SO2, Pb, O3, PM2.5 in ambient atmosphere came down and AQI showed improvement which was considered as silver line of the COVID-19 pandemic. Interestingly, not all criteria pollutants showed decrease to same extent and rather some still stayed above the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) values over New Delhi, the national capital of India. As the restrictions eased out in LD 3 and LD 4, pollution levels started increasing but again not uniformly for all pollutants and for all locations in New Delhi. During Unlock 1.0, emissions did not increase suddenly rather in a systematic linear fashion. In addition, air quality and AQI did not deteriorate much during Unlock 1.0 due to onset of monsoon rains in the country. It is suggested that all emission sources and people’s movement cannot be restricted during normal days in any country, as it has hit the socioeconomic health of nation very hard. A close examination of pollution levels and emission sources during lockdown to unlock could help us in devising a long-term strategy to bring down air pollution particularly in worst hit regions such as New Delhi. Systematic restrictions on major pollution sources with intermittent relaxations could be a possible approach to constrain air pollution.
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22
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Mousazadeh M, Paital B, Naghdali Z, Mortezania Z, Hashemi M, Karamati Niaragh E, Aghababaei M, Ghorbankhani M, Lichtfouse E, Sillanpää M, Hashim KS, Emamjomeh MM. Positive environmental effects of the coronavirus 2020 episode: a review. ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY 2021; 23:12738-12760. [PMID: 33558801 PMCID: PMC7859094 DOI: 10.1007/s10668-021-01240-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has made a global catastrophic situation that caused 1,039,406 deaths out of 35,347,404 infections, and it will also cause significant socio-economic losses with poverty increasing from 17.1 to 25.9%. Although the spreading rate of COVID-19 is very high on October 6, 2020, the death rate is still less than 2.94%. Nonetheless, this review article shows that the lockdown has induced numerous positive impacts on the environment and on energy consumption. For instance, the lockdown has decreased the electricity demand by 30% in Italy, India, Germany, and the USA, and by 12-20% in France, Germany, Spain, India, and the UK. Additionally, the expenditure of the fuel supply has been decreased by 4% in 2020 as compared to the previous years (2012-2019). In particular, The global demand for coal fuel has been reduced by 8% in March and April 2020 as compared to the same time in 2019. In terms of harmful emissions, the lockdowns reduced the emissions of nitrous oxides by 20-30% in China, Italy, France, Spain, and by 77.3% in São Paulo, Brazil. Similarly, the particulate matter level has been reduced from 5-15% in Western Europe, to 200% in New Delhi, India, which in turn has enhanced the air quality in a never-seen manner in recent times. In some places, such as New York, USA, CO2 emission was also reduced by 5-10%. The water quality, in several polluted areas, has also been remarkably enhanced, for example, the dissolved oxygen content in the Ganga River, India, has increased by about 80%. Traffic congestion has also been reduced worldwide, and in some areas, it has been reduced by 50%, such as New York and Los Angeles, USA. Overall, while the COVID-19 pandemic has shrinked the global economy by 13-32%, the pandemic has also clearly benefited to other sectors, which must be considered as the spotlight for the permanent revival of the global ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milad Mousazadeh
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | - Biswaranjan Paital
- Redox Regulation Laboratory, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, College of Basic Science and Humanities, Bhubaneswar, 751003 Odisha India
| | - Zohreh Naghdali
- Student Research Committee, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
- Department of Environmental Health Engineering, School of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
| | | | - Marjan Hashemi
- Environmental and Occupational Hazards Control Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Elnaz Karamati Niaragh
- Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Hafez Ave., 15875-4413 Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Aghababaei
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99163 USA
| | - Melika Ghorbankhani
- MSc in Occupational Safety, Health and Wellbeing at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Eric Lichtfouse
- Aix-Marseille Univ, CNRS, IRD, INRAE, Coll France, CEREGE, 13100 Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Mika Sillanpää
- Institute of Research and Development, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000 Vietnam
- Faculty of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Duy Tan University, Da Nang, 550000 Vietnam
- School of Civil Engineering and Surveying, Faculty of Health, Engineering and Sciences, University of Southern Queensland, West Street, Toowoomba, QLD 4350 Australia
- Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Mining, Metallurgy and Chemical Engineering, University of Johannesburg, P. O. Box 17011, Doornfontein, 2028 South Africa
| | - Khalid S. Hashim
- Department of Civil Engineering, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Mohammad Mahdi Emamjomeh
- Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Research Institute for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran
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23
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Yang Chan EY, Shahzada TS, Sham TST, Dubois C, Huang Z, Liu S, Ho JYE, Hung KKC, Kwok KO, Shaw R. Narrative review of non-pharmaceutical behavioural measures for the prevention of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) based on the Health-EDRM framework. Br Med Bull 2020; 136:46-87. [PMID: 33030513 PMCID: PMC7665374 DOI: 10.1093/bmb/ldaa030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Non-pharmaceutical measures to facilitate a response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a disease caused by novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, are urgently needed. Using the World Health Organization (WHO) health emergency and disaster risk management (health-EDRM) framework, behavioural measures for droplet-borne communicable diseases and their enabling and limiting factors at various implementation levels were evaluated. SOURCES OF DATA Keyword search was conducted in PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, Medline, Science Direct, WHO and CDC online publication databases. Using the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine review criteria, 10 bottom-up, non-pharmaceutical prevention measures from 104 English-language articles, which published between January 2000 and May 2020, were identified and examined. AREAS OF AGREEMENT Evidence-guided behavioural measures against transmission of COVID-19 in global at-risk communities were identified, including regular handwashing, wearing face masks and avoiding crowds and gatherings. AREAS OF CONCERN Strong evidence-based systematic behavioural studies for COVID-19 prevention are lacking. GROWING POINTS Very limited research publications are available for non-pharmaceutical measures to facilitate pandemic response. AREAS TIMELY FOR RESEARCH Research with strong implementation feasibility that targets resource-poor settings with low baseline health-EDRM capacity is urgently needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Ying Yang Chan
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX37BN, UK
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- GX Foundation, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tayyab Salim Shahzada
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- GX Foundation, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Tiffany Sze Tung Sham
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- GX Foundation, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Caroline Dubois
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- GX Foundation, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Zhe Huang
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sida Liu
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- GX Foundation, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Janice Ying-en Ho
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kevin K C Hung
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response (CCOUC), The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Accident & Emergency Medicine Academic Unit, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kin On Kwok
- JC School of Public Health and Primary Care, Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Rajib Shaw
- Graduate School of Media and Governance, Keio University, Fujisawa 252-0882, Japan
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Zheng B, Geng G, Ciais P, Davis SJ, Martin RV, Meng J, Wu N, Chevallier F, Broquet G, Boersma F, van der A R, Lin J, Guan D, Lei Y, He K, Zhang Q. Satellite-based estimates of decline and rebound in China's CO 2 emissions during COVID-19 pandemic. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:6/49/eabd4998. [PMID: 33268360 PMCID: PMC7821878 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abd4998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Changes in CO2 emissions during the COVID-19 pandemic have been estimated from indicators on activities like transportation and electricity generation. Here, we instead use satellite observations together with bottom-up information to track the daily dynamics of CO2 emissions during the pandemic. Unlike activity data, our observation-based analysis deploys independent measurement of pollutant concentrations in the atmosphere to correct misrepresentation in the bottom-up data and can provide more detailed insights into spatially explicit changes. Specifically, we use TROPOMI observations of NO2 to deduce 10-day moving averages of NO x and CO2 emissions over China, differentiating emissions by sector and province. Between January and April 2020, China's CO2 emissions fell by 11.5% compared to the same period in 2019, but emissions have since rebounded to pre-pandemic levels before the coronavirus outbreak at the beginning of January 2020 owing to the fast economic recovery in provinces where industrial activity is concentrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Zheng
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Guannan Geng
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Philippe Ciais
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Steven J Davis
- Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of California at Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Randall V Martin
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jun Meng
- Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Physics and Atmospheric Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Nana Wu
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Frederic Chevallier
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Gregoire Broquet
- Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat et de l'Environnement, LSCE/IPSL, CEA-CNRS-UVSQ, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Folkert Boersma
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands
- Environmental Sciences Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands
| | - Ronald van der A
- Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI), De Bilt, Netherlands
- Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST), No. 219, Ningliu Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jintai Lin
- Laboratory for Climate and Ocean-Atmosphere Studies, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Dabo Guan
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yu Lei
- Chinese Academy of Environmental Planning, Beijing, China
| | - Kebin He
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environment Simulation and Pollution Control, School of Environment, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Earth System Modeling, Department of Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
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25
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Stratoulias D, Nuthammachot N. Air quality development during the COVID-19 pandemic over a medium-sized urban area in Thailand. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 746:141320. [PMID: 32768789 PMCID: PMC7833508 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered an industrial and financial slowdown due to unprecedented regulations imposed with the purpose to contain the spread of the virus. Consequently, the positive effect on the environment has been witnessed. One of the most prominent evidences has been the drastic air quality improvement, as a direct consequence of lower emissions from reduced industrial activity. While several studies have demonstrated the validity of this hypothesis in mega-cities worldwide, it is still an unsubstantiated fact whether the same holds true for cities with a smaller urban extent and population. In the present study we investigate the temporal development of atmospheric constituent concentrations as retrieved concurrently from the Sentinel-5P satellite and a ground meteorological station. We focus on the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic over the city of Hat Yai, Thailand and present the effect of the lockdown on the atmospheric quality over this average populated city (156,000 inhabitants). NO2, PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations decreased by 33.7%, 21.8% and 22.9% respectively in the first 3 weeks of the lockdown compared to the respective pre-lockdown period; O3 also decreased by 12.5% and contrary to similar studies. Monthly averages of NO2, CO and PM2.5 for the month April exhibit in 2020 the lowest values in the last decade. Sentinel-5P retrieved NO2 tropospheric concentrations, both locally over the ground station and the spatial average over the urban extent of the city, are in agreement with the reduction observed from the ground station. Numerous studies have already presented evidence of the bettering of the air quality over large metropolitan areas during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the current study we demonstrate that this holds true for Hat Yai, Thailand; we propound that the environmental benefits documented in major urban agglomerations during the lockdown may extend to medium-sized urban areas as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitris Stratoulias
- Department for Management of Science and Technology Development, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam; Faculty of Applied Sciences, Ton Duc Thang University, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam
| | - Narissara Nuthammachot
- Faculty of Environmental Management, Prince of Songkla University, Hatyai, Songkhla, Thailand.
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26
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Son JY, Fong KC, Heo S, Kim H, Lim CC, Bell ML. Reductions in mortality resulting from reduced air pollution levels due to COVID-19 mitigation measures. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 744:141012. [PMID: 32693269 PMCID: PMC7366090 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
To control the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, state and local governments in the United States have implemented several mitigation efforts that resulted in lower emissions of traffic-related air pollutants. This study examined the impacts of COVID-19 mitigation measures on air pollution levels and the subsequent reductions in mortality for urban areas in 10 US states and the District of Columbia. We calculated changes in levels of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter no larger than 2.5 μm (PM2.5) during mitigation period versus the baseline period (pre-mitigation measure) using the difference-in-difference approach and the estimated avoided total and cause-specific mortality attributable to these changes in PM2.5 by state and district. We found that PM2.5 concentration during the mitigation period decreased for most states (except for 3 states) and the capital. Decreases of average PM2.5 concentration ranged from 0.25 μg/m3 (4.3%) in Maryland to 4.20 μg/m3 (45.1%) in California. On average, PM2.5 levels across 7 states and the capital reduced by 12.8%. We estimated that PM2.5 reduction during the mitigation period lowered air pollution-related total and cause-specific deaths. An estimated 483 (95% CI: 307, 665) PM2.5-related deaths was avoided in the urban areas of California. Our findings have implications for the effects of mitigation efforts and provide insight into the mortality reductions can be achieved from reduced air pollution levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji-Young Son
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Kelvin C Fong
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Seulkee Heo
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Honghyok Kim
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Chris C Lim
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Michelle L Bell
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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27
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Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown on Air Pollution in 20 Major Cities around the World. ATMOSPHERE 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/atmos11111189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In order to fight against the spread of COVID-19, the most hard-hit countries in the spring of 2020 implemented different lockdown strategies. To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on air quality worldwide, Air Quality Index (AQI) data was used to estimate the change in air quality in 20 major cities on six continents. Our results show significant declines of AQI in NO2, SO2, CO, PM2.5 and PM10 in most cities, mainly due to the reduction of transportation, industry and commercial activities during lockdown. This work shows the reduction of primary pollutants, especially NO2, is mainly due to lockdown policies. However, preexisting local environmental policy regulations also contributed to declining NO2, SO2 and PM2.5 emissions, especially in Asian countries. In addition, higher rainfall during the lockdown period could cause decline of PM2.5, especially in Johannesburg. By contrast, the changes of AQI in ground-level O3 were not significant in most of cities, as meteorological variability and ratio of VOC/NOx are key factors in ground-level O3 formation.
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28
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Kumar P, Hama S, Omidvarborna H, Sharma A, Sahani J, Abhijith KV, Debele SE, Zavala-Reyes JC, Barwise Y, Tiwari A. Temporary reduction in fine particulate matter due to 'anthropogenic emissions switch-off' during COVID-19 lockdown in Indian cities. SUSTAINABLE CITIES AND SOCIETY 2020; 62:102382. [PMID: 32834936 PMCID: PMC7357527 DOI: 10.1016/j.scs.2020.102382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic elicited a global response to limit associated mortality, with social distancing and lockdowns being imposed. In India, human activities were restricted from late March 2020. This 'anthropogenic emissions switch-off' presented an opportunity to investigate impacts of COVID-19 mitigation measures on ambient air quality in five Indian cities (Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai), using in-situ measurements from 2015 to 2020. For each year, we isolated, analysed and compared fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration data from 25 March to 11 May, to elucidate the effects of the lockdown. Like other global cities, we observed substantial reductions in PM2.5 concentrations, from 19 to 43% (Chennai), 41-53% (Delhi), 26-54% (Hyderabad), 24-36% (Kolkata), and 10-39% (Mumbai). Generally, cities with larger traffic volumes showed greater reductions. Aerosol loading decreased by 29% (Chennai), 11% (Delhi), 4% (Kolkata), and 1% (Mumbai) against 2019 data. Health and related economic impact assessments indicated 630 prevented premature deaths during lockdown across all five cities, valued at 0.69 billion USD. Improvements in air quality may be considered a temporary lockdown benefit as revitalising the economy could reverse this trend. Regulatory bodies must closely monitor air quality levels, which currently offer a baseline for future mitigation plans.
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Key Words
- AOD, aerosol optical depth
- AQI, air quality index
- Air pollution
- CO, carbon monoxide
- CO2, carbon dioxide
- COVID-19, Coronavirus disease 2019
- Coronavirus pandemic
- EPA, Environmental Protection Agency
- ER, excess risk
- ESA, European Space Agency
- Emission switch-off
- GEV, generalized extreme value
- GoI, Government of India
- HB, health burden
- Health and economic impacts
- MODIS, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer
- MSL, mean sea level
- NASA, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
- NH3, ammonia
- NO2, nitrogen dioxide
- O3, ozone
- PDF, probability density function
- PM, particulate matter
- PM10, PM with aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 10 μm
- PM2.5 concentration
- PM2.5, PM with aerodynamic diameter of ≤ 2.5 μm
- RH, relative humidity
- RR, relative risk
- SARS-CoV-2 Virus
- SARS-CoV-2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2
- SO2, sulphur dioxide
- SSEC, Space Science and Engineering Centre
- TROPOMI, TROPOspheric monitoring instrument
- UK, United Kingdom
- USA, United States of America
- USD, United States Dollar
- VSL, value of statistical life
- WHO, World Health Organization
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Affiliation(s)
- 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
| | - Sarkawt Hama
- 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
| | - Hamid Omidvarborna
- 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
| | - Ashish Sharma
- 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
| | - Jeetendra Sahani
- 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
| | - K V Abhijith
- 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
| | - Sisay E Debele
- 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
| | - Juan C Zavala-Reyes
- 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
| | - Yendle Barwise
- 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
| | - Arvind Tiwari
- 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
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29
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Lu C, Norbäck D, Li Y, Deng Q. Early-life exposure to air pollution and childhood allergic diseases: an update on the link and its implications. Expert Rev Clin Immunol 2020; 16:813-827. [PMID: 32741235 DOI: 10.1080/1744666x.2020.1804868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Although mounting evidence has linked environmental factors with childhood allergies, some specific key issues still remain unclear: what is the main environmental factor? what is the critical timing window? And whether these contribute to the development of disease? AREAS COVERED This selective review summarizes recent epidemiological studies on the association between early-life exposure to indoor/outdoor air pollution and childhood allergic diseases. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science for peer-reviewed articles published until April 2020. Exposure to the traffic-related air pollutant, NO2, exposure during pregnancy and early postnatal periods is found to be associated with childhood allergies, and exposure during different trimesters causes different allergic diseases. However, exposure to classical air pollutants (PM10 and SO2) also contributes to childhood allergy in developing countries. In addition, early-life exposure to indoor renovation and mold/dampness significantly increases the risk of allergy in children. A synergistic effect between indoor and outdoor air pollution is found in the development of allergic diseases. EXPERT OPINION Early-life exposure to outdoor air pollution and indoor environmental factors plays an important role in the development of childhood allergic diseases, and the synergy between indoor and outdoor exposures increases allergy risk. The available findings support the hypothesis of the 'fetal origins of childhood allergy,' with new implications for the effective control and early prevention of childhood allergies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chan Lu
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University , Changsha, China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center of Early Life Development and Disease Prevention, XiangYa Hospital, Central South University , Changsha, China
| | - Dan Norbäck
- Department of Medical Sciences, Uppsala University , Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Yuguo Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong , Hong Kong, China
| | - Qihong Deng
- XiangYa School of Public Health, Central South University , Changsha, China.,Hunan Engineering Research Center of Early Life Development and Disease Prevention, XiangYa Hospital, Central South University , Changsha, China.,School of Energy Science and Engineering, Central South University , Changsha, China
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30
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Muniz-Pardos B, Shurlock J, Debruyne A, Steinacker JM, Börjesson M, Wolfarth B, Bilzon JLJ, Löllgen H, Ionescu A, Zupet P, Dohi M, Swart J, Badtieva V, Zelenkova I, Casasco M, Geistlinger M, Bachl N, Tsofliou F, Di Luigi L, Bigard X, Papadopoulou T, Webborn N, Singleton P, Miller M, Pigozzi F, Pitsiladis YP. Collateral Health Issues Derived from the Covid-19 Pandemic. SPORTS MEDICINE - OPEN 2020; 6:35. [PMID: 32770421 PMCID: PMC7414261 DOI: 10.1186/s40798-020-00267-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Borja Muniz-Pardos
- GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) research group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | | | - Andre Debruyne
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Juergen M Steinacker
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Division of Sports and Rehabilitation Medicine, Ulm University Hospital, Ulm, Germany
| | - Mats Börjesson
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy and Center for Health and Performance, Gothenburg University and Sahlgrenska University Hospital/Ostra, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Bernd Wolfarth
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Sports Medicine, Humboldt University and Charité University School of Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - James L J Bilzon
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department for Health, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Herbert Löllgen
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anca Ionescu
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Petra Zupet
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Michiko Dohi
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Sport Medical Center, Japan Institute of Sports Sciences, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Jeroen Swart
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- UCT Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Victoriya Badtieva
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Moscow Research and Practical Centre for Medical Rehabilitation, Restorative and Sports Medicine, Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Irina Zelenkova
- GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) research group, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), Ministry of Health of Russia, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Maurizio Casasco
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Italian Federation of Sports Medicine (FMSI), Rome, Italy
| | - Michael Geistlinger
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Unit International Law, Department of Constitutional, International and European Law, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
| | - Norbert Bachl
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute of Sports Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Austrian Institute of Sports Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Fotini Tsofliou
- Department of Rehabilitation, Nutrition and Sport Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
| | - Luigi Di Luigi
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
| | - Xavier Bigard
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), Aigle, Switzerland
| | - Theodora Papadopoulou
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- British Association Sport and Exercise Medicine, Doncaster, UK
- Defense Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Loughborough, UK
| | - Nick Webborn
- School of Sport and Service Management, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK
| | | | - Mike Miller
- World Olympians Association, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Fabio Pigozzi
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland
- University of Rome "Foro Italico", Rome, Italy
- Villa Stuart Sport Clinic, FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Rome, Italy
| | - Yannis P Pitsiladis
- European Federation of Sports Medicine Associations (EFSMA), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- International Federation of Sports Medicine (FIMS), Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Collaborating Centre of Sports Medicine, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, UK.
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31
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Decrease in Ambient Fine Particulate Matter during COVID-19 Crisis and Corresponding Health Benefits in Seoul, Korea. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17155279. [PMID: 32707971 PMCID: PMC7432095 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 07/20/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Both domestic emissions and transported pollutants from neighboring countries affect the ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration of Seoul, Korea. Diverse measures to control the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), such as social distancing and increased telecommuting in Korea and the stringent lockdown measures of China, may reduce domestic emissions and levels of transported pollutants, respectively. In addition, wearing a particulate-filtering respirator may have decreased the absolute PM2.5 exposure level for individuals. Therefore, this study estimated the acute health benefits of PM2.5 reduction and changes in public behavior during the COVID-19 crisis in Seoul, Korea. To calculate the mortality burden attributable to PM2.5, we obtained residents’ registration data, mortality data, and air pollution monitoring data for Seoul from publicly available databases. Relative risks were derived from previous time-series studies. We used the attributable fraction to estimate the number of excessive deaths attributable to acute PM2.5 exposure during January to April, yearly, from 2016 to 2020, and the number of mortalities avoided from PM2.5 reduction and respirator use observed in 2020. The average PM2.5 concentration from January to April in 2020 (25.6 μg/m3) was the lowest in the last 5 years. At least −4.1 μg/m3 (95% CI: −7.2, −0.9) change in ambient PM2.5 in Seoul was observed in 2020 compared to the previous 4 years. Overall, 37.6 (95% CI: 32.6, 42.5) non-accidental; 7.0 (95% CI: 5.7, 8.4) cardiovascular; and 4.7 (95% CI: 3.4, 6.1) respiratory mortalities were avoided due to PM2.5 reduction in 2020. By considering the effects of particulate respirator, decreases of 102.5 (95% CI: 89.0, 115.9) non-accidental; 19.1 (95% CI: 15.6, 22.9) cardiovascular; and 12.9 (95% CI: 9.2, 16.5) respiratory mortalities were estimated. We estimated that 37 lives were saved due to the PM2.5 reduction related to COVID-19 in Seoul, Korea. The health benefit may be greater due to the popular use of particulate-filtering respirators during the COVID-19 crisis. Future studies with daily mortality data are needed to verify our study estimates.
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32
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Ching J, Kajino M. Rethinking Air Quality and Climate Change after COVID-19. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:E5167. [PMID: 32708953 PMCID: PMC7400058 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17145167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The world is currently shadowed by the pandemic of COVID-19. Confirmed cases and the death toll has reached more than 12 million and more than 550,000 respectively as of 10 July 2020. In the unsettling pandemic of COVID-19, the whole Earth has been on an unprecedented lockdown. Social distancing among people, interrupted international and domestic air traffic and suspended industrial productions and economic activities have various far-reaching and undetermined implications on air quality and the climate system. Improvement in air quality has been reported in many cities during lockdown, while the death rate of COVID-19 has been found to be higher in more polluted cities. The relationship between the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and air quality is under investigation. In addition, the battle against COVID-19 could bring short-lived and long-lasting and positive and negative impacts to the warming climate. The impacts on the climate system and the role of the climate in modulating the COVID-19 pandemic are the foci of scientific inquiry. The intertwined relationship among environment, climate change and public health is exemplified in the pandemic of COVID-19. Further investigation of the relationship is imperative in the Anthropocene, in particular, in enhancing disaster preparedness. This short article intends to give an up-to-date glimpse of the pandemic from air quality and climate perspectives and calls for a follow-up discussion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Ching
- Meteorological Research Institute, 1-1 Nagamine, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0052, Japan;
| | - Mizuo Kajino
- Meteorological Research Institute, 1-1 Nagamine, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0052, Japan;
- Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
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Asensio C, Aumond P, Can A, Gascó L, Lercher P, Wunderli JM, Lavandier C, de Arcas G, Ribeiro C, Muñoz P, Licitra G. A Taxonomy Proposal for the Assessment of the Changes in Soundscape Resulting from the COVID-19 Lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020. [PMID: 32545587 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124205.a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Many countries around the world have chosen lockdown and restrictions on people's mobility as the main strategies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions have significantly affected environmental noise and modified urban soundscapes, opening up an unprecedented opportunity for research in the field. In order to enable these investigations to be carried out in a more harmonized and consistent manner, this paper makes a proposal for a set of indicators that will enable to address the challenge from a number of different approaches. It proposes a minimum set of basic energetic indicators, and the taxonomy that will allow their communication and reporting. In addition, an extended set of descriptors is outlined which better enables the application of more novel approaches to the evaluation of the effect of this new soundscape on people's subjective perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Asensio
- Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research group (I2A2), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Pierre Aumond
- UMRAE, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, CEREMA, 44340 Bouguenais, France
| | - Arnaud Can
- UMRAE, Univ Gustave Eiffel, IFSTTAR, CEREMA, 44340 Bouguenais, France
| | - Luis Gascó
- Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research group (I2A2), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | - Peter Lercher
- Institute for Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Jean-Marc Wunderli
- Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Material Science and Technology, Laboratory for Acoustics/Noise Control, 8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Lavandier
- ETIS Laboratory, UMR 8051, CY Cergy Paris University, ENSEA, CNRS, F-95302 Cergy-Pontoise Cedex, France
| | - Guillermo de Arcas
- Instrumentation and Applied Acoustics Research group (I2A2), Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, 28031 Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Patricio Muñoz
- Acoucite, Observatoire de l'environnement sonore de la Métropole de Lyon, 69007 Lyon, France
| | - Gaetano Licitra
- Environmental Protection Agency of Tuscany Region, Pisa Department, 56127 Pisa, Italy
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A Taxonomy Proposal for the Assessment of the Changes in Soundscape Resulting from the COVID-19 Lockdown. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17124205. [PMID: 32545587 PMCID: PMC7345807 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Revised: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 06/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Many countries around the world have chosen lockdown and restrictions on people's mobility as the main strategies to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. These actions have significantly affected environmental noise and modified urban soundscapes, opening up an unprecedented opportunity for research in the field. In order to enable these investigations to be carried out in a more harmonized and consistent manner, this paper makes a proposal for a set of indicators that will enable to address the challenge from a number of different approaches. It proposes a minimum set of basic energetic indicators, and the taxonomy that will allow their communication and reporting. In addition, an extended set of descriptors is outlined which better enables the application of more novel approaches to the evaluation of the effect of this new soundscape on people's subjective perception.
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Bashir MF, Benghoul M, Numan U, Shakoor A, Komal B, Bashir MA, Bashir M, Tan D. Environmental pollution and COVID-19 outbreak: insights from Germany. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2020; 13:1385-1394. [PMID: 32837621 PMCID: PMC7396458 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-020-00893-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
The impact of environmental pollutants and climate indicators on the outbreak of COVID-19 has gained considerable attention in the recent literature. However, specific investigation of industrial economies like Germany is not available. This provides us motivation to examine the association between environmental pollutants, climate indicators and the COVID-19 cases, recoveries, and deaths in Germany using daily data from February 24, 2020, to July 02, 2020. The correlation analysis and wavelet transform coherence (WTC) approach are the analytical tools, which are used to explore the association between variables included in the study. Our findings indicate that PM2.5, O3, and NO2 have a significant relationship with the outbreak of COVID-19. In addition, temperature is the only significant climate indicator which has significant correlation with the spread of COVID-19. Finally, PM10, humidity, and environmental quality index have a significant relationship only with the active cases from COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings conclude that Germany's successful response to COVID-19 is attributed to environmental legislation and the medical care system, which oversaw significant overhaul after the SARS and MERS outbreaks. The current study implicates that other industrial economies, especially European economies, that are still facing COVID-19 outbreak can follow the German model for pandemic response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Farhan Bashir
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Umar Numan
- School of Business, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan People’s Republic of China
| | - Awais Shakoor
- Department of Environment and Soil Sciences, University of Lleida, Avinguda Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain
| | - Bushra Komal
- Business School, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, People’s Republic of China
| | | | - Madiha Bashir
- Education Department, Government of The Punjab, Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Duojiao Tan
- Hubei University of Economics, Wuhan, Hubei People’s Republic of China
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Karuppasamy MB, Seshachalam S, Natesan U, Ayyamperumal R, Karuppannan S, Gopalakrishnan G, Nazir N. Air pollution improvement and mortality rate during COVID-19 pandemic in India: global intersectional study. AIR QUALITY, ATMOSPHERE, & HEALTH 2020; 13:1375-1384. [PMID: 35194480 PMCID: PMC8824459 DOI: 10.1007/s11869-020-00892-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This research was carried out using the open-source database system along with the continuous air quality monitoring station results from global data sets during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India and the global. Our purpose of this research is to study the improvement of air quality and human mortality rates in countries worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Worldwide air quality data were collected from > 12,000 continuous air quality monitoring stations on six continents covering 1000 major cities from over 100 countries. Here, we discussed the implementation of the open-source data set of basic air pollutants such as PM 2.5, NO2, temperature, relative humidity, and Air Quality Index variation during the pre-lockdown and lockdown pandemic COVID-19 in India and described the global aspect. An average concentration of PM 2.5 (145.51 μg/m3), NO2 (21.64 μg/m3), and AQI index (55.58) continuously decreased. The variation of PM 2.5, NO2, normally shows more than 25 μg/m3 every year, but during the COVID-19 lockdown period (April 2020) continuously decreased below 20 μg/m3. Similarly, the AQI index and meteorological factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed variation decreased significantly in the many countries in the world. In Asian countries, air quality improved during the national lockdown especially in the most polluted cities globally such as Beijing, Delhi, and Nanjing and also in developed cities like Madrid, New York, Paris, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo. Furthermore, the reduction of particulate matter was in about 46%, and other gaseous pollutants during the lockdown period were observed in a 54% reduction. We are witnessing pollution reductions which add significantly to improvements in air quality. This is due to the massive decrease in the use of fossil fuel, which in turn reduces production and traffic in general. People nowadays are now willing to see a comparatively healthier world with bleached skies and natural ecosystems. This research finding demonstrates potential safety benefits associated with improving air quality and mortality rates during the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in decreases in mortality rates in India and around the world.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Usha Natesan
- Centre for Water Resources, Anna University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600025 India
| | - Ramamoorthy Ayyamperumal
- Key Laboratory of Western China’s Environmental System, College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
| | - Shankar Karuppannan
- School of Applied Natural Sciences, Adama Science & Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia
| | | | - Nusrat Nazir
- School of Earth Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000 People’s Republic of China
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