Air quality changes in cities during the COVID-19 lockdown: A critical review

Highlights

• We studied the effects of the implementation of lockdown on air quality.

• Reduction in primary air pollutants was observed in most cities during lockdowns.

• Secondary PM and O₃ increased in some cities under favorable weather conditions.

• Exposure to high levels of PM can aggravate the health status of COVID-19 patients.

• Indoor air quality assessment merits a serious consideration during lockdowns.

Abstract

In response to the rapid spread of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) within and across countries and the need to protect public health, governments worldwide introduced unprecedented measures such as restricted road and air travel and reduced human mobility in 2020. The curtailment of personal travel and economic activity provided a unique opportunity for researchers to assess the interplay between anthropogenic emissions of primary air pollutants, their physical transport, chemical transformation, ultimate fate and potential health impacts. In general, reductions in the atmospheric levels of outdoor air pollutants such as particulate matter (PM), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were observed in many countries during the lockdowns. However, the levels of ozone (O₃), a secondary air pollutant linked to asthma and respiratory ailments, and secondary PM were frequently reported to remain unchanged or even increase. An increase in O₃ can enhance the formation of secondary PM_2.5, especially secondary organic aerosols, through the atmospheric oxidation of VOCs. Given that the gaseous precursors of O₃ (VOCs and NO_x) are also involved in the formation of secondary PM_2.5, an integrated control strategy should focus on reducing the emission of the common precursors for the co-mitigation of PM_2.5 and O₃ with an emphasis on their complex photochemical interactions. Compared to outdoor air quality, comprehensive investigations of indoor air quality (IAQ) are relatively sparse. People spend more than 80% of their time indoors with exposure to air pollutants of both outdoor and indoor origins. Consequently, an integrated assessment of exposure to air pollutants in both outdoor and indoor microenvironments is needed for effective urban air quality management and for mitigation of health risk. To provide further insights into air quality, we do a critical review of scientific articles, published from January 2020 to December 2020 across the globe. Finally, we discuss policy implications of our review in the context of global air quality improvement.