Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods
Governments worldwide have established lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The restrictions on travel and reduction of economic activity have led to a temporary improvement in air quality in several countries, especially in urban areas. This study investigates the changes...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Sciendo
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environment |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2023-0057 |
| _version_ | 1797323398720782336 |
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| author | Brągoszewska Ewa Mainka Anna Biedroń Izabela |
| author_facet | Brągoszewska Ewa Mainka Anna Biedroń Izabela |
| author_sort | Brągoszewska Ewa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Governments worldwide have established lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The restrictions on travel and reduction of economic activity have led to a temporary improvement in air quality in several countries, especially in urban areas. This study investigates the changes in concentration levels of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and bacterial aerosol) in the Upper Silesia Region of Southern Poland, during three periods: pre (March 2018 and 2019), during (March 2020, and 2021) and post-COVID-19 lockdown period (March 2022 and 2023). Our findings indicate that COVID-19 restrictions had a moderate impact on PM10 levels in comparison to pre- and post-COVID-19 periods. PM2.5 during lockdown was significantly lower than in the pre-COVID period and not significantly higher after COVID. PM10 and PM2.5 average concentrations decreased during COVID-19 restrictions by 27.8% and 12.7%, respectively. Compared with the results from the pre-COVID-19 phase, the reductions in NO2 and SO2 during the lockdown were 9.5% and 34.0%. Among other pollutants, bacterial aerosol (BA) concentrations also decreased during the lockdown by 23.0%, compared to the results from the pre-COVID-19 period. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:28:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8477640a65ba47528193fd4744ce6eb9 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2720-6947 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T05:28:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Sciendo |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environment |
| spelling | doaj.art-8477640a65ba47528193fd4744ce6eb92024-02-06T09:09:28ZengSciendoArchitecture, Civil Engineering, Environment2720-69472023-12-0116413514810.2478/acee-2023-0057Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 PeriodsBrągoszewska Ewa0Mainka Anna1Biedroń Izabela2Associate Prof., DSc; ; Department of Technologies and Installations for Waste Management, Faculty of Energy and Environmental Engineering, Silesian University of Technology, 18 Konarskiego St., 44-100Gliwice, PolandAssociate Prof., DSc Eng.; Department of Air Protection, Silesian University of Technology, 22B Konarskiego St., 44-100Gliwice, PolandPhD; Faculty of Science, Universität Bern, Hochschulstrasse 6, 3012Bern, SwitzerlandGovernments worldwide have established lockdowns to limit the spread of COVID-19 during the pandemic. The restrictions on travel and reduction of economic activity have led to a temporary improvement in air quality in several countries, especially in urban areas. This study investigates the changes in concentration levels of air pollutants (PM10, PM2.5, SO2, NO2, and bacterial aerosol) in the Upper Silesia Region of Southern Poland, during three periods: pre (March 2018 and 2019), during (March 2020, and 2021) and post-COVID-19 lockdown period (March 2022 and 2023). Our findings indicate that COVID-19 restrictions had a moderate impact on PM10 levels in comparison to pre- and post-COVID-19 periods. PM2.5 during lockdown was significantly lower than in the pre-COVID period and not significantly higher after COVID. PM10 and PM2.5 average concentrations decreased during COVID-19 restrictions by 27.8% and 12.7%, respectively. Compared with the results from the pre-COVID-19 phase, the reductions in NO2 and SO2 during the lockdown were 9.5% and 34.0%. Among other pollutants, bacterial aerosol (BA) concentrations also decreased during the lockdown by 23.0%, compared to the results from the pre-COVID-19 period.https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2023-0057air qualitycovid-19pm2.5pm10no2so2bacterial aerosol |
| spellingShingle | Brągoszewska Ewa Mainka Anna Biedroń Izabela Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods Architecture, Civil Engineering, Environment air quality covid-19 pm2.5 pm10 no2 so2 bacterial aerosol |
| title | Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods |
| title_full | Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods |
| title_fullStr | Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods |
| title_full_unstemmed | Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods |
| title_short | Ambient Air Quality in Upper Silesia Region Pre-During, and Post-COVID-19 Periods |
| title_sort | ambient air quality in upper silesia region pre during and post covid 19 periods |
| topic | air quality covid-19 pm2.5 pm10 no2 so2 bacterial aerosol |
| url | https://doi.org/10.2478/acee-2023-0057 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bragoszewskaewa ambientairqualityinuppersilesiaregionpreduringandpostcovid19periods AT mainkaanna ambientairqualityinuppersilesiaregionpreduringandpostcovid19periods AT biedronizabela ambientairqualityinuppersilesiaregionpreduringandpostcovid19periods |