Long time series analysis of air quality data in the Veneto region (Northern Italy) to support environmental policies

The world population is demonstrating an increasing awareness about the ecological impacts of air quality, including impacts on human health. The Veneto region and, more generally, the Po Valley (NE Italy), are characterised by frequent exceedance of limit values for air quality, in particular particulate matter (PM10), which causes these areas to be listed as hotspots;thus, this region has some of the worst air pollution in Europe. The aim of the current research was to analyse a 10 year-long time series of air quality data (2011–2021) in the Veneto region to investigate the influence of selected factors on air quality, such as natural processes (meteorological conditions), environmental policies, and health emergency measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Generally, the considered pollutants, PM10, NO, and NO2, presented a decreasing trend during the last ten years. The reduction in nitrogen oxides was clearly improved after the implementation of a specific environmental protocol (the "New Agreement of Po Valley Basin”). Conversely, the PM10 concentration seemed to be affected by other important emission sources, such as domestic heating systems, agricultural activities, and animal farms, which are not as strongly regulated as emission sources such as traffic. The 2020 lockdown mainly influenced nitrogen oxide concentrations.

Evaluating the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the particulate matters during the peak of COVID-19 in Padua, northern Italy.

The airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of the current COVID-19 pandemic, has been hypothesized as one of the primary routes of transmission. Current data suggest a low probability of airborne transmission of the virus in open environments and a higher probability in closed ones, particularly in hospitals or quarantine facilities. However, the potential diffusion of the virus in open environments, especially using particulate matter (PM) as a transport carrier, generated concern in the exposed populations. Several authors found a correlation between the exceeding of the PM10 concentration limits in some Italian cities and the prevalence of Covid-19 cases detected in those areas. This study investigated the potential presence of SARS-COV-2 RNA on a representative series of PM samples collected in the province of Padua in Northeastern Italy during the first wave of COVID pandemic. Forty-four samples of PM2.5 and PM10 were collected between February 24 and March 9, 2020 and analyzed with RT-qPCR for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. The experimental results did not indicate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in the outdoor PMs, thus confirming the low probability of virus airborne transmission through PM.