scholarly journals Impact on Air Quality of the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Urban Area of Palermo (Italy)

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (20) ◽  
pp. 7375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello Vultaggio ◽  
Daniela Varrica ◽  
Maria Grazia Alaimo
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Infected People ◽  
National Crisis ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Pm 10 ◽  
The Impact

At the end of 2019, the first cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) were reported in Wuhan, China. Thereafter, the number of infected people increased rapidly, and the outbreak turned into a national crisis, with infected individuals all over the country. The COVID-19 global pandemic produced extreme changes in human behavior that affected air quality. Human mobility and production activities decreased significantly, and many regions recorded significant reductions in air pollution. The goal of our investigation was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on the concentrations of the main air pollutants in the urban area of Palermo (Italy). In this study, the trends in the average concentrations of CO, NO2, O3, and PM10 in the air from 1 January 2020 to 31 July 2020 were compared with the corresponding average values detected at the same monitoring stations in Palermo during the previous five years (2015–2019). During the lockdown period (10 March–30 April), we observed a decrease in the concentrations of CO, NO2, and particulate matter (PM)10, calculated to be about 51%, 50%, and 45%, respectively. This confirms that air pollution in an urban area is predominantly linked to vehicular traffic.

scholarly journals Functional ANOVA approaches for detecting changes in air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Acal ◽  
Ana M. Aguilera ◽  
Annalina Sarra ◽  
Adelia Evangelista ◽  
Tonio Di Battista ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Functional Data ◽  
Central Italy ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Functional Principal Component Analysis ◽  
Area Of Interest ◽  
Pm 10 ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Monitoring Stations

AbstractFaced with novel coronavirus outbreak, the most hard-hit countries adopted a lockdown strategy to contrast the spread of virus. Many studies have already documented that the COVID-19 control actions have resulted in improved air quality locally and around the world. Following these lines of research, we focus on air quality changes in the urban territory of Chieti-Pescara (Central Italy), identified as an area of criticality in terms of air pollution. Concentrations of $$\hbox {NO}_{{2}}$$ NO 2 , $$\hbox {PM}_{{10}}$$ PM 10 , $$\hbox {PM}_{2.5}$$ PM 2.5 and benzene are used to evaluate air pollution changes in this Region. Data were measured by several monitoring stations over two specific periods: from 1st February to 10 th March 2020 (before lockdown period) and from 11st March 2020 to 18 th April 2020 (during lockdown period). The impact of lockdown on air quality is assessed through functional data analysis. Our work makes an important contribution to the analysis of variance for functional data (FANOVA). Specifically, a novel approach based on multivariate functional principal component analysis is introduced to tackle the multivariate FANOVA problem for independent measures, which is reduced to test multivariate homogeneity on the vectors of the most explicative principal components scores. Results of the present study suggest that the level of each pollutant changed during the confinement. Additionally, the differences in the mean functions of all pollutants according to the location and type of monitoring stations (background vs traffic), are ascribable to the $$\hbox {PM}_{{10}}$$ PM 10 and benzene concentrations for pre-lockdown and during-lockdown tenure, respectively. FANOVA has proven to be beneficial to monitoring the evolution of air quality in both periods of time. This can help environmental protection agencies in drawing a more holistic picture of air quality status in the area of interest.

Quantifying the impact of traffic-related air pollution on the indoor air quality of a naturally ventilated building

2016 ◽  
Vol 89-90 ◽  
pp. 138-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheming Tong ◽  
Yujiao Chen ◽  
Ali Malkawi ◽  
Gary Adamkiewicz ◽  
John D. Spengler
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
The Impact

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.

Analysis of the impact on air quality of motor vehicle traffic in the Milan urban area

1991 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 415-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Bardeschi ◽  
A. Colucci ◽  
V. Gianelle ◽  
M. Gnagnetti ◽  
M. Tamponi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Motor Vehicle ◽  
Vehicle Traffic ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Air Quality Levels of Delhi

2020 ◽  
Vol 6 (12) ◽  
pp. 373-378
Author(s):  
Jaash Sehgal K.C. Tripathi and M.L. Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Paper Machine ◽  
Significant Change ◽  
The Impact

Air Pollution [2] has been an issue of major concern in many cities of India like Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata etc. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown throughout the nation, there was seen a significant change in the air quality of these cities, as there was little to no movement of people in the cities. In this paper, machine learning [3] techniques are used to predict the air quality levels in Delhi. Also, those levels which would have been obtained if the pandemic induced lockdown had not occurred are extrapolated [4]. Then, the two results are compared with each other in order to analyze the impact of Covid-19 on air quality levels.

scholarly journals What do we know about indoor air quality of nurseries? A review of the literature

2021 ◽  
pp. 014362442110098
Author(s):  
Shuo Zhang ◽  
D Mumovic ◽  
Samuel Stamp ◽  
Katherine Curran ◽  
Elizabeth Cooper
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air Quality ◽  
Indoor Air ◽  
School Children ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Indoor Air Pollution ◽  
Potential Health ◽  
The Impact

Considering the alarming rise in the rate of asthma and respiratory diseases among school children, it is of great importance to investigate all probable causes. Outside of the home, children spend most of their time in school. Many studies have researched the indoor environmental quality of primary and secondary school buildings to determine the exposure of school children to indoor air pollution. However, studies of very young children in nurseries are scarce. Unlike at elementary schools or universities, children in nurseries are more vulnerable due to their physiology, inability to articulate discomfort and to adapt their behaviour to avoid exposures. This article reviews current studies on the indoor environment in nurseries. It summarizes air pollution levels and related environmental and behavioural factors in nurseries that have been reported in the literature. Additionally, exposure to indoor air pollution and related potential health outcomes are examined. This review concludes that indoor air pollution in nurseries often exceeds current guidelines, and designers and policymakers should be made aware of the impact on the health and wellbeing of children in nurseries. Proper interventions and guidelines should be considered to create a healthy indoor environment for nursery children. Practical application: Previous IAQ assessments have mainly focused on indoor temperatures and CO2 levels. Data on comprehensive monitoring (including PMs, NO2, O3 and other pollutants) of indoor air quality of nurseries are scarce. Particularly in the UK, studies about indoor air quality in nurseries have not been founded. This paper categorized relevant articles according to the focus of the study, to provide evidence to a better understanding of current indoor air quality in nursery environments.

scholarly journals SEASONAL AND SPATIAL VARIATION OF PM10 IN AN URBAN AREA FROM ROMANIA

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 7-14
Author(s):  
MARIANA CARMELIA BĂLĂNICĂ DRAGOMIR ◽  
CRISTIAN MUNTENIȚĂ ◽  
AUREL GABRIEL SIMIONESCU ◽  
DANIELA ECATERINA ZECA ◽  
IRYNA KRAMAR ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
Atmospheric Pollution ◽  
Meteorological Parameters ◽  
Influence Factor ◽  
Dispersion Models ◽  
Research Results ◽  
The Impact

The cyclic variance of PM10 mass concentration in the urban area in the South-East of Romania has been analysed in the article. SE of Romania is considered to be a territory which has medium level of pollution for a period of last ten years, from 2009 to 2018. The spatial dispersion of PM10 concentration was obtained using the METI-LIS soft wear for each season. The objective of dispersion models is to evaluate how pollutant concentration is spread out taking into account the diffusion. The average measurements of PM10 and meteorological parameters as inputs has been used. An evident seasonal change of PM10 concentrations is observed in the article. In order to establish national measures for the improvement of the atmospheric pollution control it was analysed the mechanism of atmospheric pollution. It was observed that the air quality was overall better in spring and in summer in comparison to the other two periods. With regard to the seasonal variation characteristics of PM10 significant differences for the air quality registered in different months in the researched region were observed. The impact of air temperature on atmospheric pollution was insignificant in spring and autumn; moreover, precipitation was defined as an important influence factor upon the atmospheric pollution. The impact of precipitation on the possibility of atmospheric pollution was obviously different in the four seasons. The research results indicate the meteorological parameters that influence the air pollution become active during the cold seasonal days. It was shown that relative humidity and wind speed are the meteorological parameters that impact the PM10. It was found out that the probability of atmospheric pollution decreased with the increase of air temperature in summer. The research results also testify that the air pollution mapping could be enhanced using atmospheric dispersion models and in-situ measurements.

Changes in Air Quality of the Yuxi City Urban Area

2014 ◽  
Vol 1021 ◽  
pp. 225-228
Author(s):  
Cheng Qiu ◽  
Hong Chen ◽  
Chun Li Ye ◽  
Yan Jun Yang ◽  
Chang Bing Ye
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Area ◽  
Health Problem ◽  
Quality Index ◽  
Quality Standards ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Air Quality Index ◽  
Air Quality Standards

Air pollution causes health problem. The paper simply analyzed the changes of air quality in the Yuxi city urban area from 2006 to 2012. In the Yuxi city urban area between 2006 and 2012, SO2 levels increased about 43.9 percent; NO2 levels increased about 13.3 percent; PM10 levels in 2012 decreased about 1.5 percent. By evaluating the air quality in the Yuxi city urban area, the results showed that air quality index was the maximum in 2009, and the quality of the air in Yuxi became worse from 2006 to 2012, air pollution in 2009 was the heaviest between 2006 to 2012. After adopting P.R.C EPA air quality standards (GB3095-2012) in 2013, the first air pollutant in Yuxi is PM10, and then it is SO2 among SO2, NO2 and PM10.Much should beend done to reduce the amount of PM10 and SO2 released.

scholarly journals Air Quality during Covid-19 Lockdown

Encyclopedia ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-526
Author(s):  
Gabriele Donzelli ◽  
Lorenzo Cioni ◽  
Mariagrazia Cancellieri ◽  
Agustin Llopis-Morales ◽  
María Morales-Suárez-Varela
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Chronic Respiratory Diseases ◽  
Pollution Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
Containment Measures ◽  
The Impact

Air pollution exposure is one of the greatest risks to health worldwide. It is estimated to be responsible for about 4.2 million deaths around the world every year owing to many serious diseases such as heart disease, stroke, acute and chronic respiratory diseases, and lung cancer. The WHO guideline limits are exceeded in several areas around the world, and it is estimated that about 90% of the world’s population is exposed to high air pollution levels, especially in low- and middle-income countries. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced governments to implement severe mobility restriction measures to limit the spread of the virus. This represented a unique opportunity to study the impact of mobility on urban air quality. Several studies which have investigated the relations between the quality of the air and such containment measures have shown the significant reduction of the main pollutants in the urban environment so to encourage the adoption of new approaches for the improvement of the quality of air in the cities. The aims of this entry are both a brief analysis and a discussion of the results presented in several papers to understand the relationships between COVID-19 containment measures and air quality in urban areas.

VALORIZATION OF THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF SOUTH SERBIA FROM THE AIR QUALITY ASPECT

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 1329-1333
Author(s):  
Miodrag Šmelcerović
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Urban Environment ◽  
Pollution Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Sources ◽  
Anthropogenic Factors ◽  
Limit Values ◽  
Cause And Effect ◽  
Sources Of Pollution

The protection of the environment and people’s health from negative influences of the pollution of air as a medium of the environment requires constant observing of the air quality in accordance with international standards, the analysis of emission and imission of polluting matters in the air, and their connection with the sources of pollution. Having in mind the series of laws and delegated legislations which define the field of air pollution, it is necessary to closely observe these long-term processes, discovering cause-and-effect relationships between the activities of anthropogenic sources of emission of polluting matters and the level of air degradation. The relevant evaluation of the air quality of a certain area can be conducted if the level of concentration of polluting matters characteristic for the pollution sources of this area is observed in a longer period of time. The data obtained by the observation of the air pollution are the basis for creation of the recovery program of a certain area. Vranje is a town in South Serbia where there is a bigger number of anthropogenic pollution sources that can significantly diminish the air quality. The cause-and-effect relationship of the anthropogenic sources of pollution is conducted related to the analysis of systematized data which are in the relevant data base of the authorized institution The Institute of Public Health Vranje, for the time period between the year of 2012. and 2017. By the analysis of data of imission concentrations of typical polluting matters, the dominant polluting matters were determined on the territory of the town of Vranje, the ones that are the causers of the biggest air pollution and the risk for people’s health. Analysis of the concentration of soot, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides indicates their presence in the air of Vranje town area in concentrations that do not exceed the permitted limit values annually. The greatest pollution is caused by the soot content in the air, especially in the winter period when the highest number of days with the values above the limit was registered. By perceiving the influence of natural and anthropogenic factors, it is clear that the concentration of polluting matters can be decreased only by establishing control over anthropogenic sources of pollution, and thus it can be contributed to the improvement of the air quality of this urban environment.

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