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

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 enviro...

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Published inEnvironmental 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
LanguageEnglish
Published Netherlands Elsevier Inc 01.09.2022
National Institute of R&D for Optoelectronics INOE 2000. Published by Elsevier Inc
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0013-9351
1096-0953
DOI:10.1016/j.envres.2022.113437