Air Quality during COVID-19 in Four Megacities: Lessons and Challenges for Public Health.

Patrick Connerton,Helena Ribeiro,Anne Dorothée Slovic,João Vicente De Assunção,Regina Maura De Miranda,Pedro José Pérez-Martínez

doi:10.3390/ijerph17145067

Abstract

The study described in this manuscript analyzed the effects of quarantine and social distancing policies implemented due to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on air pollution levels in four western megacities: São Paulo in Brazil; Paris in France; and Los Angeles and New York in the United States. The study investigated the levels of four air pollutants—Carbon monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Fine Particulate (PM2.5) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2)—during the month of March 2020, compared to 2015–2019, in the urban air of these metropolitan areas, controlling for meteorological variables. Results indicated reductions in the levels of PM2.5, CO and NO2, with reductions of the latter two showing statistical significance. In contrast, tropospheric ozone levels increased, except in Los Angeles. The beneficial health effects of cleaner air might also help prevent deaths caused by the epidemic of COVID-19 in megacities by diminishing pressure on hospitals and health equipment. Future actions for the re-starting of non-essential economic activities in these cities should take into consideration the overall importance of health for the individual, as well as for societies.

Highlights

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has had dramatic impacts on life around the globe, having spread to most countries, affecting over 9,300,000 people and causing over 478,000 deaths worldwide as of 23 June 2020 [1], and being compared by many to the 1918 flu pandemic
The four megacities included in this study were chosen based on some overarching criteria; namely, they were heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the air pollution in each is very much related to motor vehicles and all have long histories in relation to air pollution monitoring and control
NO2 concentrations vary from day to day due to changes in climate and conclusions cannot be drawn based on just one day of data

Summary

Introduction

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has had dramatic impacts on life around the globe, having spread to most countries, affecting over 9,300,000 people and causing over 478,000 deaths worldwide as of 23 June 2020 [1], and being compared by many to the 1918 flu pandemic. The economic impact of the virus has been significant as well, effectively halting many industries and sending financial markets into periods of rapid downturn. To help slow the spread of the virus, in addition to encouraging individual social distancing, governments have implemented shutdown, lockdown, stay-in-place, and even quarantine policies, with varying degrees of enforcement and effectiveness. These orders have drastically disrupted the routines of residents, altering environmental conditions in the affected areas as many commercial activities are halted and many employees are either experiencing reductions in hours or working remotely from their homes. Public Health 2020, 17, 5067; doi:10.3390/ijerph17145067 www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph

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