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Modeling the effect of reduced traffic due to COVID-19 measures on air quality using a chemical transport model: impacts on the Po Valley and the Swiss Plateau regions.
Ciarelli, Giancarlo; Jiang, Jianhui; El Haddad, Imad; Bigi, Alessandro; Aksoyoglu, Sebnem; Prévôt, André S H; Marinoni, Angela; Shen, Jiali; Yan, Chao; Bianchi, Federico.
  • Ciarelli G; Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki Finland giancarlo.ciarelli@helsinki.fi.
  • Jiang J; Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences East China Normal University 200241 Shanghai China jhjiang@des.ecnu.edu.cn.
  • El Haddad I; Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute 5232 Villigen PSI Switzerland.
  • Bigi A; Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute 5232 Villigen PSI Switzerland.
  • Aksoyoglu S; Department of Engineering "Enzo Ferrari", Università di Modena e Reggio Emilia Modena Italy.
  • Prévôt ASH; Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute 5232 Villigen PSI Switzerland.
  • Marinoni A; Laboratory of Atmospheric Chemistry, Paul Scherrer Institute 5232 Villigen PSI Switzerland.
  • Shen J; Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, National Research Council of Italy Bologna Italy.
  • Yan C; Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki Finland giancarlo.ciarelli@helsinki.fi.
  • Bianchi F; Institute for Atmospheric and Earth System Research/Physics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki Finland giancarlo.ciarelli@helsinki.fi.
Environ Sci Atmos ; 1(5): 228-240, 2021 Jul 22.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1345620
ABSTRACT
The spread of COVID-19 has posed serious challenges for the global communities. To reduce the circulation of the infection, governmental bodies have imposed different lockdown measures at various levels of complexity and duration. As a result, a substantial reduction in mobility might have important, yet unknown, implications for air quality. In this study, we applied the Comprehensive Air quality Model with eXtensions (CAMx) to investigate potential changes in air quality and its chemical composition over northern Italy and Switzerland during periods when lockdown measures were enforced. Our results indicated that lockdown measures reduced nitrogen dioxide (NO2) air concentrations by up to 46% and 25% in the Po Valley and Swiss Plateau regions, respectively, whereas fine particulate matter (PM2.5) air concentrations were reduced only by up to 10% and 6%. This highlights the importance of other emission categories other than traffic for the total PM2.5 levels. The analysis of the PM2.5 components indicated that elemental carbon (EC) and particulate nitrate (NO3 -) were the species most affected by the lockdown measures, whereas a mild increase in the secondary organic aerosol (SOA) concentrations occurred in the Po Valley, and specifically over the metropolitan area of Milan. Our results indicated that an increase in the oxidation capacity of the atmosphere, i.e. in the ˙OH and ˙NO3 radicals, was mainly responsible for the mild increase in SOA concentrations.

Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Environ Sci Atmos Year: 2021 Document Type: Article

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Full text: Available Collection: International databases Database: MEDLINE Type of study: Experimental Studies Language: English Journal: Environ Sci Atmos Year: 2021 Document Type: Article