Response of atmospheric deposition and surface water chemistry to the COVID-19 lockdown in an alpine area

Abstract

The effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on deposition and surface water chemistry were investigated in an area south of the Alps. Long-term data provided by the monitoring networks revealed that the deposition of sulfur and nitrogen compounds in this area has stabilized since around 2010; in 2020, however, both concentrations and deposition were significantly below the average values of the previous decade for SO4 and NO3. Less evident changes were observed for NH4 and base cation. The estimated decrease of deposition in 2020 with respect to the previous decade was on average − 54% and − 46% for SO4 and NO3, respectively. The lower deposition of SO4 and NO3 recorded in 2020 was caused by the sharp decrease of SO2 and particularly of NOx air concentrations mainly due to the mobility restrictions consequent to the COVID-19 lockdown. The limited effects on NH4 deposition can be explained by the fact that NH3 emission was not affected by the lockdown, being mainly related to agricultural activities. A widespread response to the decreased deposition of S and N compounds was observed in a group of pristine freshwater sites, with NO3 concentrations in 2020 clearly below the long-term average. The rapid chemical recovery observed at freshwater sites in response to the sharp decrease of deposition put in evidence the high resilience potential of freshwater ecosystems in pristine regions and demonstrated the great potential of emission reduction policy in producing further substantial ameliorations of the water quality at sensitive sites.