Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand
With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, many countries announced lockdown measures, including Thailand. Several scientific studies have reported on improvements in air quality due to the impact of these COVID-19 lockdowns. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wiley
2021-01-01
|
| Series: | Advances in Meteorology |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6697707 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1832565676995248128 |
|---|---|
| author | Parichat Wetchayont |
| author_facet | Parichat Wetchayont |
| author_sort | Parichat Wetchayont |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, many countries announced lockdown measures, including Thailand. Several scientific studies have reported on improvements in air quality due to the impact of these COVID-19 lockdowns. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and its driving influencing factors on air pollution in Greater Bangkok, Thailand, using in situ measurements. Overall, PM2.5, PM10, O3, and CO concentrations presented a significant decreasing trend during the COVID-19 outbreak year based on three periods: the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods, for PM2.5: −0.7%, −15.8%, and −20.7%; PM10: −4.1%, −31.7%, and −6.1%; and O3: −0.3%, −7.1%, and −4.7%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2019. CO concentrations, especially which had increased by 14.7% Before Lockdown, decreased by −8.0% and −23.6% during the Lockdown and After Lockdown periods, respectively. Meanwhile, SO2 increased by 54.0%, 41.5%, and 84.6%, and NO2 increased by 20.1%, 3.2%, and 26.6%, respectively, for the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods. PCA indicated a significant combination effect of atmospheric mechanisms that were strongly linked to emission sources such as traffic and biomass burning. It has been demonstrated that the COVID-19 lockdown did pause some of these anthropogenic emissions, i.e., traffic and commercial and industrial activities, but not all of them. Even low traffic emissions, on their own, did not cause an absolute reduction in air pollution since there are several primary emission sources that dominate the air quality over Greater Bangkok. Finally, these findings highlight the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures not only on air pollution levels but on their effects on air pollution characteristics, as well. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d12cd442f61a4bb9b3e481e303ed7e3f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1687-9309 1687-9317 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Advances in Meteorology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d12cd442f61a4bb9b3e481e303ed7e3f2025-02-03T01:07:07ZengWileyAdvances in Meteorology1687-93091687-93172021-01-01202110.1155/2021/66977076697707Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, ThailandParichat Wetchayont0Department of Geography, Faculty of Social Sciences, Srinakharinwirot University, Bangkok 10800, ThailandWith the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic around the world, many countries announced lockdown measures, including Thailand. Several scientific studies have reported on improvements in air quality due to the impact of these COVID-19 lockdowns. This study aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown and its driving influencing factors on air pollution in Greater Bangkok, Thailand, using in situ measurements. Overall, PM2.5, PM10, O3, and CO concentrations presented a significant decreasing trend during the COVID-19 outbreak year based on three periods: the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods, for PM2.5: −0.7%, −15.8%, and −20.7%; PM10: −4.1%, −31.7%, and −6.1%; and O3: −0.3%, −7.1%, and −4.7%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2019. CO concentrations, especially which had increased by 14.7% Before Lockdown, decreased by −8.0% and −23.6% during the Lockdown and After Lockdown periods, respectively. Meanwhile, SO2 increased by 54.0%, 41.5%, and 84.6%, and NO2 increased by 20.1%, 3.2%, and 26.6%, respectively, for the Before Lockdown, Lockdown, and After Lockdown periods. PCA indicated a significant combination effect of atmospheric mechanisms that were strongly linked to emission sources such as traffic and biomass burning. It has been demonstrated that the COVID-19 lockdown did pause some of these anthropogenic emissions, i.e., traffic and commercial and industrial activities, but not all of them. Even low traffic emissions, on their own, did not cause an absolute reduction in air pollution since there are several primary emission sources that dominate the air quality over Greater Bangkok. Finally, these findings highlight the impact of COVID-19 lockdown measures not only on air pollution levels but on their effects on air pollution characteristics, as well.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6697707 |
| spellingShingle | Parichat Wetchayont Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand Advances in Meteorology |
| title | Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand |
| title_full | Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand |
| title_fullStr | Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand |
| title_short | Investigation on the Impacts of COVID-19 Lockdown and Influencing Factors on Air Quality in Greater Bangkok, Thailand |
| title_sort | investigation on the impacts of covid 19 lockdown and influencing factors on air quality in greater bangkok thailand |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2021/6697707 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT parichatwetchayont investigationontheimpactsofcovid19lockdownandinfluencingfactorsonairqualityingreaterbangkokthailand |