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Robin RS, Purvaja R, Ganguly D, Hariharan G, Paneerselvam A, Sundari RT, Karthik R, Neethu CS, Saravanakumar C, Semanti P, Prasad MHK, Mugilarasan M, Rohan S, Arumugam K, Samuel VD, Ramesh R. COVID-19 restrictions and their influences on ambient air, surface water and plastic waste in a coastal megacity, Chennai, India. Mar Pollut Bull 2021; 171:112739. [PMID: 34304059 PMCID: PMC8458696 DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic activities experienced a pause due to the nationwide lockdown, imposed to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the third week of March 2020. The impacts of suspension of industrial activities, vehicular transport and other businesses for three months (25 March-30 June) on the environmental settings of Chennai, a coastal megacity was assessed. A significant reduction in the key urban air pollutants [PM2.5 (66.5%), PM10 (39.5%), NO2 (94.1%), CO (29%), O3 (45.3%)] was recorded as an immediate consequence of the reduced anthropogenic activities. Comparison of water quality of an urban river Adyar, between pre-lockdown and lockdown, showed a substantial drop in the dissolved inorganic N (47%) and suspended particulate matter (41%) during the latter period. During the pandemic, biomedical wastes in India showed an overall surge of 17%, which were predominantly plastic. FTIR-ATR analysis confirmed the polymers such as polypropylene (25.4%) and polyester (15.4%) in the personal protective equipment.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Robin
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Purvaja
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - D Ganguly
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - G Hariharan
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - A Paneerselvam
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R T Sundari
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Karthik
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - C S Neethu
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - C Saravanakumar
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - P Semanti
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - M H K Prasad
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - M Mugilarasan
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - S Rohan
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - K Arumugam
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - V D Samuel
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - R Ramesh
- National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Chennai 600 025, Tamil Nadu, India.
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