Relations between Air Quality and Covid-19 Lockdown Measures in Valencia, Spain

Datos Bibliográficos

ID15501243
AutoresGabriele Donzelli (0000-0002-3365-3732, Universitat de València, autor de correspondencia), Lorenzo Cioni (0000-0002-2698-2714, Scuola Normale Superiore), Mariagrazia Cancellieri (Hygiene and Public Health Unit, Department of Public Health, AUSL Imola, Viale Giovanni Amendola 2, 40026 Bologna, Italy), Agustín Llopis González (0000-0001-8701-6918, Universitat de València), Agustín Llopis-Morales (Universitat de València), María Morales‐Suárez‐Varela (0000-0003-0785-1492, Universitat de València)
Año2021
Volumen18
Número5
Páginas2296-2296
Fecha de publicación2021-02-26
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditorialMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph18052296
PMID33652575
OpenAlexW3132555316
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas5
Referencias citadas35

The set of measures to contain the diffusion of COVID-19 instituted by the European governments gave an unparalleled opportunity to improve our understanding of the transport and industrial sectors' contribution to urban air pollution. The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of the lockdown measures on air quality and pollutant emissions in Valencia, Spain. For this reason, we determined if there was a significant difference in the concentration levels of different particulate matter (PM) sizes, PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and NO x , NO 2 , NO, and O 3, between the period of restrictions in 2020 and the same period in 2019. Our findings indicated that PM pollutant levels during the lockdown period were significantly different from the same period of the previous year, even if there is variability in the different local areas. The highest variations reduction in the PM 10 and PM 2.5 levels were observed for the València Centre, València Avd Francia, and València Pista de Silla (all of the urban traffic type) in which there was a reduction of 58%-42%, 56%-53%, and 60%-41% respectively. Moreover, consistent with recent studies, we observed a significant reduction in nitric oxide levels in all the air monitoring stations. In all seven monitoring stations, it was observed, in 2020, NO x , NO 2 , and NO concentrations decreased by 48.5%-49.8%-46.2%, 62.1%-67.4%-45.7%, 37.4%-35.7%-35.3%, 60.7%-67.7%-47.1%, 65.5%-65.8%-63.5%, 60.0%-64.5%-41.3%, and 60.4%-61.6%-52.5%, respectively. Lastly, overall O 3 levels decreased during the lockdown period, although this phenomenon was more closely related to weather conditions. Overall, no significant differences were observed between the meteorological conditions in 2019 and 2020. Our findings suggest that further studies on the effect of human activities on air quality are needed and encourage the adoption of a holistic approach to improve urban air quality

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Air pollutants · Air pollution · Air quality index · Biology · Combustion · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 · Environmental protection · Geography · Meteorology · NOx · Particulates · Pollutant · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 · Air Quality and Health Impacts · Chemistry · Climate Change and Health Impacts · COVID-19 impact on air quality · Environmental Science · Medicine · Environmental Chemistry · Pollution · Toxicology