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

Author

Listed:
  • Marcello Vultaggio

    (Risorse Ambiente Palermo (RAP), Piazzetta B. Cairoli, 90123 Palermo, Italy)

  • Daniela Varrica

    (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy)

  • Maria Grazia Alaimo

    (Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e del Mare (DiSTeM), via Archirafi 22, 90123 Palermo, Italy)

Abstract

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, NO 2 , O 3 , and PM 10 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, NO 2 , 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcello Vultaggio & Daniela Varrica & Maria Grazia Alaimo, 2020. "Impact on Air Quality of the COVID-19 Lockdown in the Urban Area of Palermo (Italy)," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(20), pages 1-12, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:20:p:7375-:d:425517
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Daniela Varrica & Elisa Tamburo & Marcello Vultaggio & Ida Di Carlo, 2019. "ATR–FTIR Spectral Analysis and Soluble Components of PM 10 And PM 2.5 Particulate Matter over the Urban Area of Palermo (Italy) during Normal Days and Saharan Events," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(14), pages 1-14, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ana Catarina T. Silva & Pedro T. B. S. Branco & Patricia Ferrini Rodrigues & Sofia I. V. Sousa, 2023. "Sustainable policies for air pollution reduction after COVID‐19 pandemic: Lessons learnt from the impact of the different lockdown periods on air quality," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 959-975, April.
    2. Ana Catarina T. Silva & Pedro T. B. S. Branco & Sofia I. V. Sousa, 2022. "Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-19, February.
    3. Gabriela Cioca & Raluca Andreea Nerişanu, 2022. "The Effects of Pandemic Restrictions on Public Health—Improvements in Urban Air Quality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-23, July.
    4. Ismail Anil & Omar Alagha, 2020. "Source Apportionment of Ambient Black Carbon during the COVID-19 Lockdown," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(23), pages 1-22, December.

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