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AuthorBai, Yang
AuthorZhou, Yi
AuthorAlatalo, Juha M.
AuthorHughes, Alice C.
Available date2023-02-15T05:17:47Z
Publication Date2020-11-01
Publication NameSustainability (Switzerland)
Identifierhttp://dx.doi.org/10.3390/su12218887
CitationBai, Y.; Zhou, Y.; Alatalo, J.M.; Hughes, A.C. Changes in Air Quality during the First-Level Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in Shanghai Municipality, China. Sustainability 2020, 12, 8887. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12218887
URIhttps://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?partnerID=HzOxMe3b&scp=85094602505&origin=inward
URIhttp://hdl.handle.net/10576/40039
AbstractOngoing rapid urban population growth world-wide has led to serious environmental problems that affect ecosystems and also lower the security and happiness of urban residents about their living environment. The most frequently reported negative impact is a deterioration in urban air quality. In this study, we performed a comprehensive assessment of the effects of the city lockdown policy in response to Covid-19 on air quality in Shanghai Municipality, China, and sought to identify a balance point between human activities and improving air quality. The first-level response (FLR) by Shanghai to control the spread of Covid-19 was to launch a lockdown, which remained in place from 24 January to 23 March, 2020. We compared airborne pollutant concentrations in different regions (downtown, suburbs) of Shanghai city in three periods (Pre-FLR, During-FLR, and Post-FLR) and in the corresponding periods in the previous year. The results showed that air quality improved significantly During-FLR compared with Pre-FLR, with the concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and CO all decreasing significantly. The concentrations of all pollutants except O3 also decreased significantly compared with the same period in the previous year. There were also some differences in pollutant concentrations between the downtown region and the suburbs of Shanghai. However, we found that the concentrations of pollutants rebounded gradually when the restrictions on human activities ended after two months of lockdown. This study provides empirical evidence of the important effect of limiting human activities on air quality. For sustainable and clean future urban management in Shanghai and beyond, central government policy regulations requiring a low-carbon lifestyle and cleaner production in industries should be established.
SponsorThis study was supported by the West Light Talent Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. Y9XB011B01) and the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences (Grant No. ZDBS-LY-7011); JMA was supported by Qatar Petroleum.
Languageen
PublisherMDPI
SubjectAir pollutant
Air quality
COVID-19
Emission
TitleChanges in air quality during the first-level response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Shanghai Municipality, China
TypeArticle
Issue Number21
Volume Number12
ESSN2071-1050
dc.accessType Open Access


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