key: cord-0782076-xq70hc32
authors: Bhatti, Uzair Aslam; Zeeshan, Zeeshan; Nizamani, Mir Muhammad; Bazai, Sibghatullah; Yu, Zhaoyuan; Yuan, Linwang
title: Assessing the change of ambient air quality patterns in Jiangsu Province of China pre-to post-COVID-19
date: 2021-10-14
journal: Chemosphere
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.132569
sha: 3dd99e247573bf5be8a857fae05ac4a540dec6ee
doc_id: 782076
cord_uid: xq70hc32

Following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus in early 2020, to effectively prevent the spread of the disease, major cities across China suspended work and production. While the rest of the world struggles to control COVID-19, China has managed to control the pandemic rapidly and effectively with strong lockdown policies. This study investigates the change in air pollution (focusing on the air quality index (AQI), six ambient air pollutants nitrogen dioxide (NO(2)), ozone (O(3)), sulphur dioxide (SO(2)), carbon monoxide (CO), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤10 μm (PM(10)) and ≤2.5 μm (PM(2.5))) patterns for three periods: pre-COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2019), active COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2020) and post-COVID (from 1 January to May 30, 2021) in the Jiangsu province of China. Our findings reveal that the change in air pollution from pre-COVID to active COVID was greater than in previous years due to the government's lockdown policies. Post-COVID, air pollutant concentration is increasing. Mean change PM(2.5) from pre-COVID to active COVID decreased by 18%; post-COVID it has only decreased by 2%. PM(10) decreased by 19% from pre-COVID to active COVID, but post-COVID pollutant concentration has seen a 23% increase. Air pollutants show a positive correlation with COVID-19 cases among which PM(2.5), PM(10) and NO(2) show a strong correlation during active COVID-19 cases. Metrological factors such as minimum temperature, average temperature and humidity show a positive correlation with COVID-19 cases while maximum temperature, wind speed and air pressure show no strong positive correlation. Although the COVID-19 pandemic had numerous negative effects on human health and the global economy, the reduction in air pollution and significant improvement in ambient air quality likely had substantial short-term health benefits; the government must implement policies to control post-COVID environmental issues.

In December 2019, a new type of coronavirus 30 pneumonia (Coronavirus disease 2019, 31 broke out in Wuhan City, Hubei Province 32 (Chinazzi,2020) . On 23 January 2020, Wuhan City 33 announced a lockdown and implemented various strong 34 prevention and control measures (Singh,2020) .

Governments around the world have also imposed 36 lockdowns to prevent the spread of COVID-19 37 (Mandal,2020) ; the resulting slowdown in personal 38 travel and economic activity led to a significant 39 reduction in air pollution within a few months 40 (Chen,2021) . Despite the various drawbacks of COVID-41 19 , the increase in cases has had a positive impact on air (Zangari,2020 Table S1 . Figure 1 (Table S8) .

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first in-depth 512 provincial study that analyses air quality patterns pre-, 

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J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f  First study to highlight change in air quality pattern from pre-to post Covid in 13 cities of Jiangsu province of China.  PM10 and NO2 records an increase in 23% and 16 % in post-Covid period while Ozone(O3) decrease by 20% in post-Covid period.  Metrological factors such as minimum temperature, average temperature and humidity show a positive correlation with COVID-19 cases.  AQI increased by 3% in post-Covid highlighting pollution is increasing.  Lockdown brings an abrupt drop in air quality patterns.  Study point towards increase in air pollution in post Covid-19.

■The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.☐The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests:J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f