Effects of lockdown due to COVID-19 outbreak on air quality and anthropogenic heat in an industrial belt of India

There is no author summary for this article yet. Authors can add summaries to their articles on ScienceOpen to make them more accessible to a non-specialist audience.

Abstract

<p class="first" id="d16653507e201">Highly urbanized and industrialized Asansol Durgapur industrial belt of Eastern India is characterized by severe heat island effect and high pollution level leading to human discomfort and even health problems. However, COVID-19 persuaded lockdown emergency in India led to shut-down of the industries, traffic system, and day-to-day normal work and expectedly caused changes in air quality and weather. The present work intended to examine the impact of lockdown on air quality, land surface temperature (LST), and anthropogenic heat flux (AHF) of Asansol Durgapur industrial belt. Satellite images and daily data of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) were used for analyzing the spatial scale and numerical change of air quality from pre to amid lockdown conditions in the study region. Results exhibited that, in consequence of lockdown, LST reduced by 4.02 °C, PM <sub>10</sub> level decreased from 102 to 18 μg/m <sup>3</sup> and AHF declined from 116 to 40W/m <sup>2</sup> during lockdown period. Qualitative upgradation of air quality index (AQI) from <i>poor to very poor state</i> to <i>moderate to satisfactory state</i> was observed during lockdown period. To regulate air quality and climate change, many steps were taken at global and regional scales, but no fruitful outcome was received yet. Such lockdown (temporarily) is against economic growth, but it showed some healing effect of air quality standard. </p><p id="d16653507e221"> <div class="fig panel" id="undfig1"> <a class="named-anchor" id="undfig1">  </a> <div class="figure-container so-text-align-c"> <img alt="" class="figure" src="/document_file/dd8ff8c4-d6d3-4909-82b8-bc294f1fe4b0/PubMedCentral/image/ga1_lrg"/> </div> <div class="panel-content"/> </div> </p>

Related collections

Most cited references 52

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Effect of restricted emissions during COVID-19 on air quality in India

Shubham Sharma, Mengyuan Zhang, Anshika … (2020)

The effectiveness and cost are always top factors for policy-makers to decide control measures and most measures had no pre-test before implementation. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, human activities are largely restricted in many regions in India since mid-March of 2020, and it is a progressing experiment to testify effectiveness of restricted emissions. In this study, concentrations of six criteria pollutants, PM10, PM2.5, CO, NO2, ozone and SO2 during March 16th to April 14th from 2017 to 2020 in 22 cities covering different regions of India were analysed. Overall, around 43, 31, 10, and 18% decreases in PM2.5, PM10, CO, and NO2 in India were observed during lockdown period compared to previous years. While, there were 17% increase in O3 and negligible changes in SO2. The air quality index (AQI) reduced by 44, 33, 29, 15 and 32% in north, south, east, central and western India, respectively. Correlation between cities especially in northern and eastern regions improved in 2020 compared to previous years, indicating more significant regional transport than previous years. The mean excessive risks of PM reduced by ~52% nationwide due to restricted activities in lockdown period. To eliminate the effects of possible favourable meteorology, the WRF-AERMOD model system was also applied in Delhi-NCR with actual meteorology during the lockdown period and an un-favourable event in early November of 2019 and results show that predicted PM2.5 could increase by only 33% in unfavourable meteorology. This study gives confidence to the regulatory bodies that even during unfavourable meteorology, a significant improvement in air quality could be expected if strict execution of air quality control plans is implemented.

0 comments Cited 467 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

COVID-19 pandemic and environmental pollution: A blessing in disguise?

Sulaman Muhammad, Xingle Long, Muhammad M.A. Salman (2020)

In late 2019, a novel infectious disease with human to human transmission (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan China, which now has turned into a global pandemic. Countries all over the world have implemented some sort of lockdown to slow down its infection and mitigate it. Lockdown due to COVID-19 has drastic effects on social and economic fronts. However, this lockdown also have some positive effect on natural environment. Recent data released by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) indicates that pollution in some of the epicenters of COVID-19 such as Wuhan, Italy, Spain and USA etc. has reduced up to 30%. This study compiled the environmental data released by NASA and ESA before and after the coronavirus pandemic and discusses its impact on environmental quality.

0 comments Cited 409 times – based on 0 reviews      Review now

Bookmark

Record: found
Abstract: found
Article: not found

Changes in air quality during the lockdown in Barcelona (Spain) one month into the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic

Aurelio Tobías, Cristina Carnerero, Cristina Reche … (2020)

Lockdown measures came into force in Spain from March 14th, two weeks after the start of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic, to reduce the epidemic curve. Our study aims to describe changes in air pollution levels during the lockdown measures in the city of Barcelona (NE Spain), by studying the time evolution of atmospheric pollutants recorded at the urban background and traffic air quality monitoring stations. After two weeks of lockdown, urban air pollution markedly decreased but with substantial differences among pollutants. The most significant reduction was estimated for BC and NO2 (−45 to −51%), pollutants mainly related to traffic emissions. A lower reduction was observed for PM10 (−28 to −31.0%). By contrast, O3 levels increased (+33 to +57% of the 8 h daily maxima), probably due to lower titration of O3 by NO and the decrease of NOx in a VOC-limited environment. Relevant differences in the meteorology of these two periods were also evidenced. The low reduction for PM10 is probably related to a significant regional contribution and the prevailing secondary origin of fine aerosols, but an in-depth evaluation has to be carried out to interpret this lower decrease. There is no defined trend for the low SO2 levels, probably due to the preferential reduction in emissions from the least polluting ships. A reduction of most pollutants to minimal concentrations are expected for the forthcoming weeks because of the more restrictive actions implemented for a total lockdown, which entered into force on March 30th. There are still open questions on why PM10 levels were much less reduced than BC and NO2 and on what is the proportion of the abatement of pollution directly related to the lockdown, without meteorological interferences.