Cumulative effects of air pollution and climate drivers on COVID-19 multiwaves in Bucharest, Romania.
Process Saf Environ Prot
; 166: 368-383, 2022 Oct.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1996494
ABSTRACT
Over more than two years of global health crisis due to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Romania experienced a five-wave pattern. This study aims to assess the potential impact of environmental drivers on COVID-19 transmission in Bucharest, capital of Romania during the analyzed epidemic period. Through descriptive statistics and cross-correlation tests applied to time series of daily observational and geospatial data of major outdoor inhalable particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) or ≤ 10 µm (PM10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), sulfur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm (AOD) and radon (222Rn), we investigated the COVID-19 waves patterns under different meteorological conditions. This study examined the contribution of individual climate variables on the ground level air pollutants concentrations and COVID-19 disease severity. As compared to the long-term average AOD over Bucharest from 2015 to 2019, for the same year periods, this study revealed major AOD level reduction by ~28 % during the spring lockdown of the first COVID-19 wave (15 March 2020-15 May 2020), and ~16 % during the third COVID-19 wave (1 February 2021-1 June 2021). This study found positive correlations between exposure to air pollutants PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2, CO and 222Rn, and significant negative correlations, especially for spring-summer periods between ground O3 levels, air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance with COVID-19 incidence and deaths. For the analyzed time period 1 January 2020-1 April 2022, before and during each COVID-19 wave were recorded stagnant synoptic anticyclonic conditions favorable for SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading, with positive Omega surface charts composite average (Pa/s) at 850 mb during fall- winter seasons, clearly evidenced for the second, the fourth and the fifth waves. These findings are relevant for viral infections controls and health safety strategies design in highly polluted urban environments.
222Rn; 222Rn, Radon; AOD, Total Aerosol Optical Depth at 550 nm; Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD); CAMS, Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service; CO, Carbon monoxide; COVID, 19 Coronavirus Disease 2019; COVID-19 disease; Climate variables; DNC, Daily New COVID-19 positive cases; DND, Daily New COVID-19 Deaths; MERS, CoV Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus; NO2, Nitrogen dioxide; NOAA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S.A.; O3, Ozone; Outdoor air pollutants; PBL, Planetary Boundary Layer height; PM, Particulate Matter: PM1(1 µm), PM2.5 (2.5 µm) and PM10(10.0 µm) diameter; RH, Air relative humidity; SARS, CoV Severe Outdoor Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; SARS, CoV-2 Severe Outdoor Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2; SI, Surface solar global irradiance; SO2, Sulfur dioxide; Synoptic meteorological circulation; T, Air temperature at 2 m height; p, Air pressure; w, Wind speed intensity
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Language:
English
Journal:
Process Saf Environ Prot
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
J.psep.2022.08.042
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