The Impact of COVID-19 Partial Lockdown on Primary Pollutant Concentrations in the Atmosphere of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo Megacities (Brazil)

• Published in: Bulletin of environmental contamination and toxicology Vol. 105; no. 1; pp. 2 - 8
• Main Authors: Siciliano, Bruno, Carvalho, Giovanna, da Silva, Cleyton Martins, Arbilla, Graciela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Springer US 01.07.2020; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Air masses; Air pollution; Air Pollution - analysis; Aquatic Pollution; Atmosphere - chemistry; Betacoronavirus; Brazil; Carbon monoxide; Cities; Communicable Disease Control - statistics & numerical data; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; Disease Outbreaks - legislation & jurisprudence; Disease Outbreaks - prevention & control; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecotoxicology; Environment; Environmental Chemistry; Environmental Health; Environmental Monitoring; Humans; Megacities; Nitrogen dioxide; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pandemics - statistics & numerical data; Particulate matter; Particulate Matter - analysis; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Pollutants; Pollution; Pollution control; Rural areas; SARS-CoV-2; Social distancing; Soil Science & Conservation; Vehicle emissions; Vehicle Emissions - analysis; Waste Water Technology; Water Management; Water Pollution Control; Brazil; Cities; COVID-19; Brazil; Lockdown; Social distancing; Atmospheric pollutants
• ISSN: 0007-4861; 1432-0800; 1432-0800
• DOI: 10.1007/s00128-020-02907-9

As COVID-19 spread all over the world, most of the countries adopted some kind of restrictions to avoid the collapse of health systems. In Brazil, São Paulo and Rio the Janeiro, the two most populated cities in the country, were the first to determine social distancing. In this study, the impact of the social distancing measures on the concentrations of the three main primary air pollutants (PM 10 , NO 2 and CO) was analyzed. CO levels showed the most significant reductions (up to 100%) since it is related to light-duty vehicular emissions. NO 2 also showed reductions (9.1%–41.8%) while PM 10 levels were only reduced in the 1st lockdown week. The decrease of pollutants was not directly proportional to the vehicular flux reduction, because it depends on other factors such as the transport of air masses from industrial and rural areas. The differences observed can be explained considering the fleet characteristics in the two cities and the response of the population to the social distancing recommendations.