Abstract
At the end of 2019, the first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China. Thereafter, the number of infected people increased rapidly, and the outbreak turned into a national crisis, with infected individuals all over the country. The COVID-19 global pandemic produced extreme changes in human behavior that affected air quality. Human mobility and production activities decreased significantly, and many regions recorded significant reductions in air pollution. The goal of our investigation was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the concentrations of the main air pollutants in the urban area of Palermo (Italy). In this study, the trends in the average concentrations of CO, NO2, O3, and PM10 in the air from 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 were compared with the corresponding average values detected at the same monitoring stations in Palermo during the previous five years (2015–2019). During the lockdown period (10 March–30 April), we observed a decrease in the concentrations of CO, NO2, and particulate matter (PM)10, calculated to be about 51%, 50%, and 45%, respectively. This confirms that air pollution in an urban area is predominantly linked to vehicular traffic.
Highlights
The new severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) has had an unprecedented impact around the world
The results provided by Zhu et al [12] indicated that a significant relationship exists between air pollution and COVID-19 infection, which could partially explain the effect of the national block and provide implications for the control and prevention of this new disease
The city of Palermo is periodically affected by frequent warm winds coming from the south-east (Sirocco winds) and the southwest (Libeccio winds), carrying dust raised from the Sahara Desert region throughout the Mediterranean basin, which considerably influences the concentration of PM10
Summary
The new severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV2) has had an unprecedented impact around the world. The spread of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19), initially identified in Wuhan in China, led to over one million cases worldwide in the first four months [1]. The virus has affected almost all countries on the planet (235 in total), causing so far over 34 million confirmed cases and about 1,030,000 deaths [2]. This has resulted in lockdown in many nations. The lockdown and the related implemented measures led to a sudden drop in economic activities, including a fall in road transport in many cities and a drastic reduction in the movement of citizens through the adoption of smart-working practices wherever possible
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
