Abstract
The coronavirus disease, COVID-19, has had a great negative impact on human health and economies all over the world. To prevent the spread of infection in many countries, including the Russian Federation, public life was restricted. To assess the impact of the taken actions on air quality in the Moscow region, in June 2020, mosses Pleurosium shreberi were collected at 19 sites considered as polluted in the territory of the region based on the results of the previous moss surveys. The content of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ni, and Pb in the moss samples was determined using atomic absorption spectrometry. The obtained values were compared with the data from the moss survey performed in June 2019 at the same sampling sites. Compared to 2019 data, the Cd content in moss samples decreased by 2–46%, while the iron content increased by 3–127%. The content of Cu, Ni, and Pb in mosses decreased at most sampling sites, except for the eastern part of the Moscow region, where a considerable number of engineering and metal processing plants operate. The stay-at-home order issued in the Moscow region resulted in a reduction of vehicle emissions affecting air quality, while the negative impact of the industrial sector remained at the level of 2019 or even increased.
Highlights
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic [1].On March 12, based on a decree of the Government of the Moscow region, a self-isolation regime was introduced
The stay-at-home order issued in the Moscow region resulted in a reduction of vehicle emissions affecting air quality, while the negative impact of the industrial sector remained at the level of 2019 or even increased
Eight elements were determined in the analyzed moss samples using atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS)
Summary
On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic [1].On March 12, based on a decree of the Government of the Moscow region, a self-isolation regime was introduced. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic [1]. A significant part of the regular national and international flights and train services was cancelled. New rules adopted in many countries to help slow the spread of COVID-19 resulted in a decrease in the negative impact on the environment in some regions of the world [2]. Nadzir et al [3] measured the concentrations of CO, PM2.5 , and PM10 in Malaysia and observed that the concentration of pollutants declined significantly, by ≈20 to 60%, during the Control Order in Malaysia (MCO) days at most studied locations. In Kota Damansara, the level of pollutants significantly increased due to local anthropogenic activity. COVID-19 resulted in a worldwide decrease in the concentration of CO2
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