Impact of meteorological conditions and air pollution on Covid-19 pandemic transmission in Lombardy region, Northern Italy

Abstract Italy was the first, among all the European countries, to be strongly hit by the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2). The virus, proven to be very contagious, infected more than 9 million people worldwide (in June 2020). Nevertheless, it is not clear the role of air pollution and meteorological conditions on virus transmission. In this study, we quantitatively assessed how the meteorological and air quality parameters are correlated to the Covid-19 transmission in Lombardy (Northern Italy), the region epicenter of the virus outbreak. Our main findings highlight that temperature and humidity related variables are negatively correlated to the virus transmission, whereas air pollution (PM2.5) shows a positive correlation. In other words, Covid-19 pandemic transmission prefers dry and cool environmental conditions, as well as polluted air. For these reasons, the virus might easier spread in unfiltered air-conditioned environments. Those results will be supporting decision makers to contain new possible outbreaks.

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Impact of meteorology and air pollution on Covid-19 pandemic transmission in Lombardy region, Northern Italy

10.21203/rs.3.rs-39280/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Simone Lolli ◽

Ying-Chieh Chen ◽

Sheng-Hsiang Wang ◽

Gemine Vivone

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Lombardy Region ◽

Meteorology And Air Pollution

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Impact of meteorological conditions and air pollution on COVID-19 pandemic transmission in Italy

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-73197-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Simone Lolli ◽

Ying-Chieh Chen ◽

Sheng-Hsiang Wang ◽

Gemine Vivone

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Metropolitan Areas ◽

Virus Transmission ◽

Quality Parameters ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Indoor Environments ◽

Lombardy Region ◽

Autonomous Province

Abstract Italy was the first, among all the European countries, to be strongly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (Sars-CoV-2). The virus, proven to be very contagious, infected more than 9 million people worldwide (in June 2020). Nevertheless, it is not clear the role of air pollution and meteorological conditions on virus transmission. In this study, we quantitatively assessed how the meteorological and air quality parameters are correlated to the COVID-19 transmission in two large metropolitan areas in Northern Italy as Milan and Florence and in the autonomous province of Trento. Milan, capital of Lombardy region, it is considered the epicenter of the virus outbreak in Italy. Our main findings highlight that temperature and humidity related variables are negatively correlated to the virus transmission, whereas air pollution (PM2.5) shows a positive correlation (at lesser degree). In other words, COVID-19 pandemic transmission prefers dry and cool environmental conditions, as well as polluted air. For those reasons, the virus might easier spread in unfiltered air-conditioned indoor environments. Those results will be supporting decision makers to contain new possible outbreaks.

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Considerations of the technological quality assessment of sugarbeet

Sugar Industry ◽

10.36961/si11041 ◽

2011 ◽

pp. 85-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Giorgio Pezzi

Keyword(s):

Quality Parameters ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Glucose Content ◽

Long Term Storage ◽

Interesting Correlation ◽

Technological Quality ◽

Thick Juice

No real improvement in the technological quality of beet has been recorded over the last 15 years in Northern Italy. Among the possible explanations for the quality stagnation is that the traditional formulae cannot correctly differentiate between sugarbeet varieties which produce thick juice of very high purity. This seems to be connected with the role of potassium. The use of a standard purification procedure gives reliable and accurate data which is immediately comparable with the factory data. Research projects on medium/long term storage are currently being performed by Co.Pro.B., Italy, in cooperation with Syngenta and Beta. Up to now the results have shown that storage of sugarbeet in autumn time in northern Italy is possible provided that suitable varieties and proper handling of the roots are employed. Results obtained in the storage trials are reported. Correlations have been found between quality parameters (purity, color and lime salts) of the purified juice with the glucose content of the raw juice. An interesting correlation is reported between purified juice purity and raw juice purity.

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Otolaryngology activity in two hospitals in northern and central Italy differently affected by COVID-19 pandemic

Science Progress ◽

10.1177/0036850421998487 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 104 (2) ◽

pp. 003685042199848

Author(s):

Antonio Minni ◽

Francesco Pilolli ◽

Massimo Ralli ◽

Niccolò Mevio ◽

Luca Roncoroni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Intensive Care ◽

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome ◽

Intensive Care Units ◽

Healthcare System ◽

Central Italy ◽

Northern Italy ◽

Public Hospitals ◽

Geographical Differences ◽

Italian Regions

The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic had a significant impact on the Italian healthcare system, although geographical differences were present; regions in northern Italy have been the most severely affected while regions in the south of the country were relatively spared. Otolaryngologists were actively involved in the management of the pandemic. In this work, we analyzed and compared the otolaryngology surgical activity performed during the pandemic in two large public hospitals located in different Italian regions. In northern Italy, otolaryngologists were mainly involved in performing surgical tracheotomies in COVID-19 positive patients and contributed to the management of these patients in intensive care units. In central Italy, where the burden of the infection was significantly lower, otolaryngologists focused on diagnosis and treatment of emergency and oncology patients. This analysis confirms the important role of the otolaryngology specialists during the pandemic, but also highlights specific differences between two large hospitals in different Italian regions.

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Studying wildfire behavior using FIRETEC

International Journal of Wildland Fire ◽

10.1071/wf02007 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 11 (4) ◽

pp. 233 ◽

Cited By ~ 205

Author(s):

Rodman Linn ◽

Jon Reisner ◽

Jonah J. Colman ◽

Judith Winterkamp

Keyword(s):

Environmental Conditions ◽

Empirical Data ◽

Complex Terrain ◽

Fire Behavior ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Process Models ◽

Behavior Model ◽

Complex Processes ◽

Wildfire Modeling

A coupled atmospheric/wildfire behavior model is described that utilizes physics-based process models to represent wildfire behavior. Five simulations are presented, four of which are highly idealized situations that are meant to illustrate some of the dependencies of the model on environmental conditions. The fifth simulation consists of a fire burning in complex terrain with non-homogeneous vegetation and realistic meteorological conditions. The simulated fire behavior develops out of the coupling of a set of very complex processes and not from prescribed rules based on empirical data. This represents a new direction in wildfire modeling that we believe will eventually help decision makers and land managers do their jobs more effectively.

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The role of meteorological conditions and pollution control strategies in reducing air pollution in Beijing during APEC 2014 and Victory Parade 2015

Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics ◽

10.5194/acp-17-13921-2017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 17 (22) ◽

pp. 13921-13940 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Pengfei Liang ◽

Tong Zhu ◽

Yanhua Fang ◽

Yingruo Li ◽

Yiqun Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Air Pollutants ◽

Meteorological Parameters ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Concentrations ◽

Air Pollutant Concentrations

Abstract. To control severe air pollution in China, comprehensive pollution control strategies have been implemented throughout the country in recent years. To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, the influence of meteorological conditions on levels of air pollution needs to be determined. Using the intensive air pollution control strategies implemented during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in 2014 (APEC 2014) and the 2015 China Victory Day Parade (Victory Parade 2015) as examples, we estimated the role of meteorological conditions and pollution control strategies in reducing air pollution levels in Beijing. Atmospheric particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter  ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) samples were collected and gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO, NOx, and O3) were measured online at a site in Peking University (PKU). To determine the influence of meteorological conditions on the levels of air pollution, we first compared the air pollutant concentrations during days with stable meteorological conditions. However, there were few days with stable meteorological conditions during the Victory Parade. As such, we were unable to estimate the level of emission reduction efforts during this period. Finally, a generalized linear regression model (GLM) based only on meteorological parameters was built to predict air pollutant concentrations, which could explain more than 70 % of the variation in air pollutant concentration levels, after incorporating the nonlinear relationships between certain meteorological parameters and the concentrations of air pollutants. Evaluation of the GLM performance revealed that the GLM, even based only on meteorological parameters, could be satisfactory to estimate the contribution of meteorological conditions in reducing air pollution and, hence, the contribution of control strategies in reducing air pollution. Using the GLM, we found that the meteorological conditions and pollution control strategies contributed 30 and 28 % to the reduction of the PM2.5 concentration during APEC and 38 and 25 % during the Victory Parade, respectively, based on the assumption that the concentrations of air pollutants are only determined by meteorological conditions and emission intensities. We also estimated the contribution of meteorological conditions and control strategies in reducing the concentrations of gaseous pollutants and PM2.5 components with the GLMs, revealing the effective control of anthropogenic emissions.

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The Role of Meteorological Conditions and Pollution Control Strategies in Reducing Air Pollution in Beijing during APEC 2014 and Parade 2015

10.5194/acp-2017-456 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Pengfei Liang ◽

Tong Zhu ◽

Yanhua Fang ◽

Yingruo Li ◽

Yiqun Han ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Air Pollution ◽

Pollution Control ◽

Meteorological Parameters ◽

Control Strategies ◽

Meteorological Conditions ◽

Air Pollutant ◽

Pollutant Concentrations ◽

Air Pollutant Concentrations ◽

Pm2.5 Concentration

Abstract. To control severe air pollution in China, comprehensive pollution control strategies have been implemented throughout the country in recent years. To evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies, the influence of meteorological conditions on levels of air pollution needs to be determined. We therefore developed a generalized linear regression model (GLM) to establish the relationship between the concentrations of air pollutants and meteorological parameters. Using the intensive air pollution control strategies implemented during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in 2014 (APEC 2014) and the Victory Parade for the Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Chinese Anti-Japanese War and the World Anti-Fascist War in 2015 (Parade 2015) as examples, we estimated the role of meteorological conditions and pollution control strategies in reducing air pollution levels in Beijing. During the APEC (1 October to 31 December 2014) and Parade (1 August to 31 December 2015) sampling periods, atmospheric particulate matter of aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 μm (PM2.5) samples were collected and gaseous pollutants (SO2, NO, NOx, and O3) were measured online at a site in Peking University (PKU). The concentrations of all pollutants except ozone decreased dramatically (by more than 20 %) during both events, compared with the levels during non-control periods. To determine the influence of meteorological conditions on the levels of air pollution, we first compared the air pollutant concentrations during days with stable meteorological conditions (i.e. when the daily average wind speed (WS) was less than 2.50 m s−1 and planetary boundary layer (PBL) height was lower than 290 m). We found that the average PM2.5 concentration during APEC decreased by 45.7 % compared with the period before APEC and by 44.4 % compared with the period after APEC. This difference was attributed to emission reduction efforts during APEC. However, there were few days with stable meteorological conditions during Parade. As such, we were unable to estimate the level of emission reduction efforts during this period. Finally, GLMs based only on meteorological parameters were built to predict air pollutant concentrations, which could explain more than 70 % of the variation in air pollutant concentration levels, after incorporating the nonlinear relationships between certain meteorological parameters and the concentrations of air pollutants. Evaluation of the GLM performance revealed that the GLM, even based only on meteorological parameters, could be satisfactory to estimate the contribution of meteorological conditions in reducing air pollution, and hence the contribution of control strategies in reducing air pollution. Using the GLM, we found that the meteorological conditions and pollution control strategies contributed 30 % and 28 % to the reduction of the PM2.5 concentration during APEC 2014, and 38 % and 25 % during Parade 2015. We also estimated the contribution of meteorological conditions and control strategies implemented during the two events in reducing the concentrations of gaseous pollutants and PM2.5 components with the GLMs, revealing the effective control of anthropogenic emissions.

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