Impacts of exposure to air pollution, radon and climate drivers on the COVID-19 pandemic in Bucharest, Romania: A time series study

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 212; no. Pt D; p. 113437
• Main Authors: Zoran, Maria A., Savastru, Roxana S., Savastru, Dan M., Tautan, Marina N.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.09.2022; National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics INOE 2000. Published by Elsevier Inc
• Subjects: Air Pollutants - analysis; Air pollutants: PM2.5; Air Pollution; Climate variables; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 viral infection; Humans; NASA; NO2; Pandemics; Particulate Matter - analysis; PM10; Radon (222Rn); Radon - analysis; Reanalysis NCEP/NCAR PSD; Romania - epidemiology; SARS-CoV-2; SO2; Synoptic atmospheric circulation; Time Factors; Romania; O3; NOAA; SARS-CoV; MERS-CoV; NO2; Radon (222Rn); COVID-19; Climate variables; SARS-CoV-2; T; 222Rn; SI; SO2; PBL; Synoptic atmospheric circulation; Air pollutants: PM2.5; NASA; DNC-Daily; COVID-19 viral infection; CO; PM1(1 μm); RH; w; PM10; DND; Reanalysis NCEP/NCAR PSD; PM
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.113437

During the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic disease, like several countries, Romania experienced a multiwaves pattern over more than two years. The spreading pattern of SARS-CoV-2 pathogens in the Bucharest, capital of Romania is a multi-factorial process involving among other factors outdoor environmental variables and viral inactivation. Through descriptive statistics and cross-correlation analysis applied to daily time series of observational and geospatial data, this study aims to evaluate the synergy of COVID-19 incidence and lethality with air pollution and radon under different climate conditions, which may exacerbate the coronavirus’ effect on human health. During the entire analyzed period 1 January 2020–21 December 2021, for each of the four COVID-19 waves were recorded different anomalous anticyclonic synoptic meteorological patterns in the mid-troposphere, and favorable stability conditions during fall-early winter seasons for COVID-19 disease fast-spreading, mostly during the second, and the fourth waves. As the temporal pattern of airborne SARS-CoV-2 and its mutagen variants is affected by seasonal variability of the main air pollutants and climate parameters, this paper found: 1) the daily outdoor exposures to air pollutants (particulate matter PM2.5 and PM10, nitrogen dioxide-NO2, sulfur dioxide-SO2, carbon monoxide-CO) and radon - 222Rn, are directly correlated with the daily COVID-19 incidence and mortality, and may contribute to the spread and the severity of the pandemic; 2) the daily ground ozone-O3 levels, air temperature, Planetary Boundary Layer height, and surface solar irradiance are anticorrelated with the daily new COVID-19 incidence and deaths, averageingful for spring-summer periods. Outdoor exposure to ambient air pollution associated with radon is a non-negligible driver of COVID-19 transmission in large metropolitan areas, and climate variables are risk factors in spreading the viral infection. The findings of this study provide useful information for public health authorities and decision-makers to develop future pandemic diseases strategies in high polluted metropolitan environments. [Display omitted] •Air pollutants and climate factors may trigger SARS-CoV-2 diffusion in Bucharest.•Synoptic anticyclonic air circulation patterns are related to COVID-19 multiwaves.•Exposure to outdoor and indoor radon can increase COVID-19 incidence and severity.•COVID-19 and climate driving factors have mutual seasonality patterns in Bucharest.