New Insights into Unexpected Severe PM2.5 Pollution during the SARS and COVID-19 Pandemic Periods in Beijing.
Environ Sci Technol
; 56(1): 155-164, 2022 01 04.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1576042
ABSTRACT
During the SARS period in 2003 and COVID-19 pandemic period in 2020, unexpected severe particulate matter pollution occurred in northern China, although the anthropogenic activities and associated emissions have assumed to be reduced dramatically. This anomalistic increase in PM2.5 pollution raises a question about how source emissions impact the air quality during these pandemic periods. In this study, we investigated the stable Cu and Si isotopic compositions and typical source-specific fingerprints of PM2.5 and its sources. We show that the primary PM2.5 emissions (PM2.5 emitted directly from sources) actually had no reduction but redistribution during these pandemic periods, rather than the previous thought of being greatly reduced. This finding provided critical evidence to interpret the anomalistic PM2.5 increase during the pandemic periods in north China. Our results also suggested that both the energy structure adjustment and stringent regulations on primary emissions should be synergistically implemented in a regional scale for clean air actions in China.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Air Pollutants
/
Air Pollution
/
COVID-19
Limits:
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Journal:
Environ Sci Technol
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Acs.est.1c05383
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