Open AccessEffects of COVID-19 lockdowns on fine particulate matter concentrations
Author(s) -
Melanie S. Hammer,
Aaron van Donkelaar,
Randall V. Martin,
Erin E. McDuffie,
Alexei Lyapustin,
A. M. Sayer,
N. Christina Hsu,
R. C. Levy,
M. J. Garay,
О. В. Калашникова,
Ralph A. Kahn
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
science advances
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.928
H-Index - 146
ISSN - 2375-2548
DOI - 10.1126/sciadv.abg7670
Subject(s) - covid-19 , particulates , environmental science , satellite , atmospheric sciences , environmental chemistry , meteorology , chemistry , virology , geography , biology , physics , outbreak , medicine , ecology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , pathology , astronomy
Lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic provide an unprecedented opportunity to examine the effects of human activity on air quality. The effects on fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) are of particular interest, as PM 2.5 is the leading environmental risk factor for mortality globally. We map global PM 2.5 concentrations for January to April 2020 with a focus on China, Europe, and North America using a combination of satellite data, simulation, and ground-based observations. We examine PM 2.5 concentrations during lockdown periods in 2020 compared to the same periods in 2018 to 2019. We find changes in population-weighted mean PM 2.5 concentrations during the lockdowns of -11 to -15 μg/m 3 across China, +1 to -2 μg/m 3 across Europe, and 0 to -2 μg/m 3 across North America. We explain these changes through a combination of meteorology and emission reductions, mostly due to transportation. This work demonstrates regional differences in the sensitivity of PM 2.5 to emission sources.
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