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Wang L, Zhao W, Luo P, He Q, Zhang W, Dong C, Zhang Y. Environmentally persistent free radicals in PM 2.5 from a typical Chinese industrial city during COVID-19 lockdown: The unexpected contamination level variation. J Environ Sci (China) 2024; 135:424-432. [PMID: 37778816 PMCID: PMC9418963 DOI: 10.1016/j.jes.2022.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused concerns globally. To reduce the rapid transmission of the virus, strict city lockdown measures were conducted in different regions. China is the country that takes the earliest home-based quarantine for people. Although normal industrial and social activities were suspended, the spread of virus was efficiently controlled. Simultaneously, another merit of the city lockdown measure was noticed, which is the improvement of the air quality. Contamination levels of multiple atmospheric pollutants were decreased. However, in this work, 24 and 14 air fine particulate matter (PM2.5) samples were continuously collected before and during COVID-19 city lockdown in Linfen (a typical heavy industrial city in China), and intriguingly, the unreduced concentration was found for environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs) in PM2.5 after normal life suspension. The primary non-stopped coal combustion source and secondary Cu-related atmospheric reaction may have impacts on this phenomenon. The cigarette-based assessment model also indicated possible exposure risks of PM2.5-bound EPFRs during lockdown of Linfen. This study revealed not all the contaminants in the atmosphere had an apparent concentration decrease during city lockdown, suggesting the pollutants with complicated sources and formation mechanisms, like EPFRs in PM2.5, still should not be ignored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingyun Wang
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Key Laboratory of Molecular Sensing and Harmful Substances Detection Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Wuduo Zhao
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Key Laboratory of Molecular Sensing and Harmful Substances Detection Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Peiru Luo
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Key Laboratory of Molecular Sensing and Harmful Substances Detection Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Qingyun He
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Key Laboratory of Molecular Sensing and Harmful Substances Detection Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Wenfen Zhang
- College of Chemistry, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China; Center of Advanced Analysis and Gene Sequencing, Key Laboratory of Molecular Sensing and Harmful Substances Detection Technology, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou 450001, China
| | - Chuan Dong
- Institute of Environmental Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
| | - Yanhao Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Environmental and Biological Analysis, Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong 999077, China.
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Sharifi A. An overview and thematic analysis of research on cities and the COVID-19 pandemic: Toward just, resilient, and sustainable urban planning and design. iScience 2022; 25:105297. [PMID: 36246575 PMCID: PMC9540689 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Since early 2020, researchers have made efforts to study various issues related to cities and the pandemic. Despite the wealth of research on this topic, there are only a few review articles that explore multiple issues related to it. This is partly because of the rapid pace of publications that makes systematic literature review challenging. To address this issue, in the present study, we rely on bibliometric analysis techniques to gain an overview of the knowledge structure and map key themes and trends of research on cities and the pandemic. Results of the analysis of 2,799 articles show that research mainly focuses on six broad themes: air quality, meteorological factors, built environment factors, transportation, socio-economic disparities, and smart cities, with the first three being dominant. Based on the findings, we discuss major lessons that can be learned from the pandemic and highlight key areas that need further research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayyoob Sharifi
- Hiroshima University, Graduate School of Humanities and Social Science, Higashi-Hiroshima, Hiroshima, Japan
- Network for Education and Research on Peace and Sustainability (NERPS)
- Center for Peaceful and Sustainable Futures (CEPEAS), The IDEC Institute, Hiroshima University
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Assessment of On-Board and Laboratory Gas Measurement Systems for Future Heavy-Duty Emissions Regulations. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19106199. [PMID: 35627733 PMCID: PMC9141819 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19106199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Road transport contributes significantly to air pollution in cities. Regulations across the globe continuously reduce the limits that vehicles need to respect during their lifetimes. Furthermore, more pollutants are being subject to control with new regulations and, most important, testing tends to be done under real-world conditions on the road. In this study, various portable systems were compared with laboratory-grade equipment with a wide range of emissions, focusing on the lower end, where the measurement uncertainty of the instruments is crucial for the determination of emission limits. The engines were diesel- and compressed natural gas (CNG)-fueled. The results were promising, with relatively small differences between portable emissions measurement systems (PEMSs), portable Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and quantum cascade laser infrared (QCL-IR) spectrometers, and the respective laboratory-grade analyzers based on chemiluminescence detection (CLD), non-dispersive infrared (NDIR), and FTIR principles. The results also highlighted the need for strict technical regulations regarding accuracy and drift for low emission limits in future.
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