scholarly journals 90 Days of COVID-19 Social Distancing and Its Impacts on Air Quality and Health in Sao Paulo, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Debone ◽  
Mariana da Costa ◽  
Simone Miraglia
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Health Loss ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Concentration Levels

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic caused by spreading rapidly a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has imposed a unique situation for the humanity. Sao Paulo has reported 124,105 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 5,623 deaths up to June 14th, being considered the epicenter of the pandemic in Brazil and in South America. Due to the measures for social distancing, there was a drop in the air pollution concentration in Sao Paulo. Starting on March 16th, 2020, we broke 90 days of social distancing into 13 weeks and compared to an equivalent period in 2019. We investigated the air quality improvement during the quarantine period and compared the associated avoided deaths to COVID-19 burden deaths. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) was the best indicator of air quality in the analyzed weeks, since its reduction reached 58 %. Our study showed that the 5,623 deaths occurred during the analyzed weeks of quarantine represents an economic health loss of US$ 10.5 billion. In opposite, we observed a significant air quality improvement due to pollutants concentrations’ reductions during the analyzed weeks. Considering PM10, PM2.5 and NO2, the decrease of concentration levels respectively avoided 78, 337 and 387 premature deaths and prevented up to US$ 1.5 billion on health costs. These results highlight the importance of continuing to enforce existing air pollution regulations and measures to protect human health both during and after COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals 90 Days of COVID-19 Social Distancing and Its Impacts on Air Quality and Health in Sao Paulo, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (18) ◽  
pp. 7440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Debone ◽  
Mariana V. da Costa ◽  
Simone G. E. K. Miraglia
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Risk Function ◽  
Sao Paulo ◽  
São Paulo ◽  
Significant Drop ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Air Quality Improvement

The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed a unique situation for humanity, reaching up to 5623 deaths in Sao Paulo city during the analyzed period of this study. Due to the measures for social distancing, an improvement of air quality was observed worldwide. In view of this scenario, we investigated the air quality improvement related to PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 concentrations during 90 days of quarantine compared to an equivalent period in 2019. We found a significant drop in air pollution of 45% of PM10, 46% of PM2.5, and 58% of NO2, and using a relative-risk function, we estimated that this significant air quality improvement avoided, respectively, 78, 337, and 387 premature deaths, respectively, and prevented approximately US $720 million on health costs. Moreover, we estimated that 5623 deaths by COVID-19 represent an economic health loss of US $10.5 billion. Both health and economic gains associated with air pollution reductions give a positive perspective of the efforts towards keeping air pollution reduced even after the pandemic, highlighting the importance of improving the strategies of air pollution mitigation actions, as well as the crucial role of adopting efficient measures to protect human health both during and after the COVID-19 global health crisis.

scholarly journals Spatio-Temporal Variations of Multiple Primary Air Pollutants Emissions in Beijing of China, 2006–2015

Atmosphere ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. 494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yifeng Xue ◽  
Shihao Zhang ◽  
Zhen Zhou ◽  
Kun Wang ◽  
Kaiyun Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Source Control ◽  
Energy Structure ◽  
Pollution Mitigation ◽  
Air Quality Improvement

Air pollution in Beijing, China has attracted continuous worldwide public attention along with the rapid urbanization of the city. By implementing a set of air pollution mitigation measures, the air quality of Beijing has been gradually improved in recent years. In this study, the intrinsic factors leading to air quality improvement in Beijing are studied via a quantitative evaluation of the temporal and spatial changes in emissions of primary air pollutants over the past ten years. Based on detailed activity levels of each economic sector and a localized database containing source and pollutant specific emission factors, an integrated emissions inventory of primary air pollutants discharged from various sources between 2006 and 2015 is established. With the implementation of phased air pollution mitigation measures, and the Clean Air Action Plan, the original coal-dominated energy structure in Beijing has undergone tremendous changes, resulting in the substantial reduction of multiple air pollutants. The total of emissions of six major atmospheric pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NOX, VOCs and NH3) in Beijing decreased by 35% in 2015 compared to 2006—this noticeable decrease was well consistent with the declining trend of ambient concentration of criterion air pollutants (SO2, PM10, PM2.5 and NO2) and air quality improvement, thus showing a good correlation between the emission of air pollutants and the outcome of air quality. SO2 emission declined the most, at about 71.7%, which was related to the vigorous promotion of combustion source control, such as the shutdown of coal-fired facilities and domestic stoves and transition to clean energy, like natural gas or electricity. Emissions of PM decreased considerably (by 48%) due to energy structure optimization, industrial structure adjustments, and end-of-pipe PM source control. In general, NOX, NH3, and VOCs decreased relatively slightly, by 25%, 14%, and 2%, respectively, and accordingly, they represented the limiting factors for improving air quality and the key points of air pollution mitigation in Beijing for the future.

scholarly journals Effects of air pollution control measures on air quality improvement in Guangzhou, China

2019 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 127-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meifang Yu ◽  
Yun Zhu ◽  
Che-Jen Lin ◽  
Shuxiao Wang ◽  
Jia Xing ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Pollution Control ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Air Pollution Control ◽  
Air Quality Improvement

scholarly journals Legal aspects of the resolutions determining the acceptable types and quality of fuels under Polish legislation

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 23-28
Author(s):  
Kinga Makuch
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Human Health ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Legal Aspects ◽  
Local Authorities ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The article focuses on the selected aspects of introducing a resolution by a self-government of a province, which allows to determine the acceptable types and quality of fuels. The impact of polluted air on human health is significant. The actions carried out by the local authorities should be aimed on seeking effective air protection remedies; nonetheless, the scale of these activities seems to be still insignificant. One of the legal mechanisms is introducing resolutions determining the acceptable types and quality of fuels by a self-government of a province in order to protect the health of Polish residents and reduce the negative impact of air pollution on the environment. The question, however, is whether such resolutions could be audited with respect to the execution of such a resolution and whether they effectively lead to air quality improvement.

scholarly journals Effects of Ambient Air Quality Improvement on Mortality From Acute Air Pollution Exposure in Beijing

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingxiu Han ◽  
Han Jingxiu ◽  
Meng Congshen ◽  
Liu Jingyi ◽  
Xu Chunyu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Respiratory Disease ◽  
Local Population ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Air Quality Improvement

Abstract Exposure to air pollutants increase the mortality of population. Developing countries have taken measures to control air pollution. To explore the effects of air quality improvement on mortality, air quality and acute exposure-response coefficients of excess death in Beijing since the 1990’s were analyzed. It was divided into five stages according to the concentration level of pollutants. Coefficients for period 1990 – 2013 were obtained by retrieving literatures published before December 31, 2019. The coefficients for period 2015 – 2017 were obtained by analyzing the daily data of air pollutant concentration, meteorological and human mortality conducting Poisson Generalized Additive Model (GAM). Meta-analysis of random effect model was used to estimate the integrated coefficient of multiple studies at each stages. Comparative analysis was used to analyze the variation of air quality and coefficients in different stages. The results showed that the concentrations of sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10μm (PM10) and ≤2.5μm (PM2.5) decreased by up to 50%, 21%, 22% and 15% in different stages. The coefficient of SO2 on death from respiratory diseases decreased by up to 63.79%. The coefficients of NO2 on mortality from non-accidental causes, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory disease decreased by up to 0.95%, 1.34% and 0.54%. The coefficients of PM10, PM2.5 on mortality from cardiovascular diseases and respiratory disease were decreased by up to 0.19%, 0.31%, 0.65% and 0.36%. Continued improvements in air quality have reduced the acute impact on the health of the local population.

scholarly journals Does Environmental Inspection Led by the Central Government Improve the Air Quality in China? The Moderating Role of Public Engagement

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3316 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang Xu ◽  
Meng Tian ◽  
Jie Yang ◽  
Guohu Xu
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Heating Period ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
The Impact

The severe air pollution in China has imperiled public health and resulted in substantial economic loss. To tackle the unprecedented pollution challenges, China has launched a campaign-based environmental inspection over all regions to impel local governments’ actual pollution abatement. At the same time, with the public’s awakening awareness about environmental protection, the public has also played a particularly vital role in this inspection. Under this circumstance, the study tries to reveal the impact of Environmental Inspection led by the Central Government (EICG) on air quality improvement, and to examine the role of public engagement in their relationship. Specifically, utilizing daily data covering 249 prefecture-level cities in China from 1 June 2015 to 31 May 2018, this study employed multiple regression models and then found that due to the implementation of EICG, the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2 and NO2 decline by 2.642 μg/m3, 6.088 μg/m3, 1.357 μg/m3 and 1.443 μg/m3, respectively, and the air quality index decreases by 2.4 in total, which implies that EICG can improve the air quality to a great extent. However, the coefficients for major variables change from negative to positive, suggesting that an attenuation effect of EICG on air quality improvement exists in Chinese institutional background. Meanwhile, public engagement is shown to enhance the positive association between EICG and air quality improvement. Additionally, further analysis demonstrates that EICG promotes the improvement in air quality up to three months after the inspection in cities during the heating period, while the positive effect has existed during one month before the inspection in cities during the non-heating period. Additionally, in contrast to the instant effect in cities not specially monitored, there is a lagged effect of EICG in controlling the air pollution in cities specially monitored.

scholarly journals Changes in Air Quality during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Associated Health Benefits in Korea

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (23) ◽  
pp. 8720
Author(s):  
Ji Hoon Seo ◽  
Ji Soo Kim ◽  
Jinho Yang ◽  
Hyunjun Yun ◽  
Minwoo Roh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Health Benefits ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Anthropogenic Emissions ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Social Distancing ◽  
Premature Deaths ◽  
Control Actions ◽  
Health Loss ◽  
The World

The COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a highly contagious coronavirus that has triggered worldwide control actions such as social distancing and lockdowns. COVID-19 control actions have resulted in improved air quality locally and around the world in the short-term by limiting human activity. We analyzed the impacts of social distancing and transboundary pollutants on air quality changes using open data and examined the corresponding health benefits focusing on two domestic cities (Seoul and Daegu) in Korea where the spread of coronavirus was severe. During the COVID-19 pandemic, PM2.5, PM10, and NO2 concentrations decreased significantly by 31%, 61%, and 33%, respectively, compared to the previous three years. In particular, the PM2.5/PM10 ratio fell 24.5% after the implementation of social distancing, suggesting a decrease in anthropogenic emissions. Moreover, we found that the air quality index (AQI) also improved significantly, with a focus on reducing exposure to sensitive groups. In Seoul and Daegu, improved air quality prevented 250 and 78 premature deaths, and health costs were USD 884 million and USD 278 million, respectively. On the other hand, health loss due to COVID-19 deaths was in sharp contrast to USD 7.1 million and USD 543.6 million. Our findings indicate a significant association between COVID-19 prevalence patterns and health outcomes.

scholarly journals Urban Forests in Florida: Do They Reduce Air Pollution?

EDIS ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Escobedo
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Forests ◽  
Forest Resources ◽  
Urban Trees ◽  
Fact Sheet ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Pollution Removal

FOR-128, a 3-page fact sheet by Francisco Escobedo, presents the factors behind pollution removal by trees, estimates the amount of air pollution removal for three Florida cities, and presents strategies for managing urban trees for air quality improvement. Published by the UF School of Forest Resources and Conservation, October 2007.

scholarly journals Cautionary tales on air-quality improvement in Beijing

2017 ◽  
Vol 473 (2205) ◽  
pp. 20170457 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuyi Zhang ◽  
Bin Guo ◽  
Anlan Dong ◽  
Jing He ◽  
Ziping Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
The Past ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Cautionary Tales

The official air-quality statistic reported that Beijing had a 9.9% decline in the annual concentration of PM 2.5 in 2016. While this statistic offered some relief for the inhabitants of the capital, we present several analyses based on Beijing's PM 2.5 data of the past 4 years at 36 monitoring sites along with meteorological data of the past 7 years. The analyses reveal the air pollution situation in 2016 was not as rosy as the 9.9% decline would convey, and improvement if any was rather uncertain. The paper also provides an assessment on the city's PM 2.5 situation in the past 4 years.

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