key: cord-290567-hyod58n2
authors: Laxmipriya, S.; Narayanan, R.M.
title: COVID-19 and its relationship to particulate matter pollution – case study from part of greater chennai, india
date: 2020-10-09
journal: Mater Today Proc
DOI: 10.1016/j.matpr.2020.09.768
sha: 
doc_id: 290567
cord_uid: hyod58n2

It is well known that atmospheric contamination, especially the particulate matter (PM), causes severe human diseases. Yet, presently air pollution levels have dropped primarily attributable across the nation lockdown forced in the wake of the novel Coronavirus outbreak. In this study, we have attempted to establish a conceivable relationship between Covid 19 and PM10–2.5, obtained from eleven airquality monitoring stations in Chennai city, India for both Pre and during Covid situations and its influence over Covid positive cases. The observations of the materials (+ve cases, PM 10, PM 2.5) collected proved that during precovid regime less polluted areas are indicated with less than 5 infection cases reflecting the healthy people and they are less vulnerable to covid except the few occurrence of foreign source indicating no community spread whereus most polluted spots of precovid regimes are indicated with more than 90 % cases and indicated that people in pollution zones are succumbed to get infected quickly. However, during Covid the lockdown has considerably reduced the particulate suspension and the results revealed that the +ve cases are of the nature of community spreading through primary and secondary contacts as reported from the media. If Covid is a visible, brutally virulent, incredibly contagious pandemic that kills rapidly and mercilessly, air pollution is its unseen evil twin. Under the radar, but even ruthlessly, if Covid and PM paired together lead to murder without delay. This is a non-communicable disease (NCD) slow-motion pandemic, equivalent-if not exceeding-the catastrophic wrath of SARS-CoV-2.

Air pollution has emerged as an increasing cause of concern worldwide, especially in developing nations such as India [1] . India saw financial development, a quick extension of urban areas, industrialization, and quick-paced improvement of the foundation since progression during the 1990s. At the same time, the degree of air pollution in India has expanded to a significant wellbeing danger and reason for massive untimely mortality [2] . Around one million individuals kicked the bucket in 2015 because of the encompassing particulate issue (PM) contamination alone in India [3] . Indian urban communities have been continually making into the best 20 most contaminated urban areas of the world for as far back as hardly any years and surpassing the surrounding air quality gauges suggested by the World Health Organization and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). Air pollution can exacerbate a broad scope of respiratory ailments, and Coronavirus seems, by all accounts, to be no particular case. In the first four months, the outbreak of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID 19), initially identified in China's Wuhan, has resulted in more than one million cases worldwide.The pandemic situation has brought about lockdown in numerous countries around the world. Though India's first confirmed case was on January 30 th 2020, the cases were multipled to 10,12,442 as on today (18 th July 2020). From March 16 th , the country was cut off from all places of mass gatherings such as schools, shopping malls, and theatres through the lockdown. Further, the lockdown imposes limitations and measures of self-isolation which diminish emanations from transport and businesses.

The researchers, based at several universities across Italy, propose the virus could be scattered all the more generally on air pollution particles [4] . Harvard researchers suggest their results are especially important for vulnerable minority groups, which will be slowly exposed to air pollution in general, leading to the likelihood of Coronavirus being genuinely sick. For every small increment in air pollution, there's a generous increase in death [5] . Based on EPHA study comprising people's ability to fight off infection resulted with weakening of Immune system by airpolloutants, [6] . One recent study found that even little increments in fine particulate matter of only 1 microgram for every cubic meter related to a 15% expansion in Covid-19 passings [7] . Further the relations between PM and communicable diseases were also recorded in more recent studies revealed inhalation may transmit PM concentrated into the lungs, and particle-attached viruses may directly conquer the inferior respiratory tract, thus raising infection induction [8] . If this is true that novel Coronavirus remains active on various surfaces from a few hours to several days [9] , it is reasonable to conclude the same might appear when adsorbed or absorbed by the particulate matter in the atmosphere, which can also possibly bring the viruses into the respiratory epithelium 

A spatial distribution for pre-COVID PM2.5 and positive corona cases between the 11 stations is geographically heterogeneous, and it is presented in Figure 2 . and/or contact with contaminated surfaces [12] , the veracity of COVID-19 occurrence (Table 1. ) observed in most of the highly polluted areas withcompared to that of low, also suggested to consider possible route of transmission by airborne route. The pre covid particilate matter pollution zones revealed that less polluted areas are indicated with < 3 +ve cases with < 3.5 % of distribution and might be resulted from foreign source and indicating that there is no community spread however while most polluted areas has more than 13 +ve cases and max of 26 +ve cases with 90 percent distribution and started carried away through atmospheric medium by means of particulate suspension.

The lockdown brought numerous anthropogenic (human-made) supporters of a halt. Chennai, one of the most critically polluted cities, also reported a significant reduction in air pollution.

The contamination levels of PM2.5 during covid was found to be 3 µg/m 3 

Larger particles (> 5 μm) appear to settle on the upper respiratory tract surfaces of nose breathers, and occur with deposition on the upper respiratory tract. Exposure to PM10 is associated with increased bronchiolitis in infants with respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisations [13] . The pre covid particulate matter pollution zones revealed that less polluted areas are indicated with < 2 +ve cases with < 3 % of distribution and might be resulted from foreign source and indicating that there is no community spread however while most polluted areas has more than 9 +ve cases to the maximum of 38 +ve cases with 89.77 percent distribution and might be resulted from transportation of particulate suspension through atmospheric medium .

The contamination levels of PM10 has significantly decreased during the lockdown period.

There was about 80 to 90 % reduction rate. The variation of covid positive cases also showed significant change. From Figure 2 .(d) it was observed that areas under the range (5 to 40 µg/m 3 ) has more positive cases( 98 percentage ) than other areas. During covid particulate matter pollution zones revealed that less polluted areas are indicated with < 87 +ve cases with < 98 % of distribution and might be resulted from community spread or pimary contacts however while most polluted areas has only 1 +ve case with < 2 percent distribution and has no significant role in spreading due to atmospheric medium by means of particulate suspension. 

The air pollution might be clearing in Chennai due to lockdown; however, the harm has just been done to human wellbeing and individuals' capacity to ward off disease. Governments ought to have handled ceaseless air contamination quite a while in the past. However, it has organized the economy over wellbeing. Science articulates epidemics like COVID-19 will occur with increasing rate of recurrence [14] . incredibly contagious pandemic that kills rapidly and mercilessly, air pollution is its unseen evil twin. Under the radar, but even ruthlessly, if Covid and PM paired together lead to murder without delay. This is a non-communicable disease (NCD) slow-motion pandemic, equivalent-if not exceeding-the catastrophic wrath of SARS-CoV-2.The hypothesis could exploit ways to connect atmospheric particulates is a challenging point which we believe deserves more, immediate and in-depth experimental work. It is to be expected that steps to clarify the dynamics involved in the current pandemic will be taken promptly.

ESRI India ltd in preparation of GIS maps. We also thank the Er A.C.S. Arunkumar President, Dr M.G.R Educational and research Institute for providing the necessary facilities and for their constant motivations to carry

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The authors are thankful to those who helped in placing the airsampler in the prescribed hotspots for obtaining the results during field observations and the technical support rendered by

The observations of the materials (+ve cases, PM 10, PM 2.5) collected proved that during precovid regime less polluted areas are indicated with less than 5 infection cases reflecting the healthy people and they are less vulnerable to covid except the few occurrence of foreign source indicating no community spread whereus most polluted spots of precovid regimes are indicated with more than 90 % cases and indicated that people in pollution zones are succumbed to get infected quickly. However, during Covid the lockdown has considerably reduced the particulate suspension and the results revealed that the +ve cases are of the nature of community spreading through primary and secondary contacts as reported from the media. If Covid is a visible, brutally virulent, incredibly contagious pandemic that kills rapidly and mercilessly, air pollution is its unseen evil twin. Under the radar, but even ruthlessly, if Covid and PM paired together lead to murder without delay. This is a non-communicable disease (NCD) slow-motion pandemic, equivalent-if not exceeding-the catastrophic wrath of SARS-CoV-2. The hypothesis could exploit ways to connect atmospheric particulates is a challenging point which we believe deserves more, immediate and in-depth experimental work. It is to be expected that steps to clarify the dynamics involved in the current pandemic will be taken promptly.