Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has been affecting the world since the end of 2019. The disease led to significant mortality and morbidity in Turkey, since the first case was reported on March 11 th , 2020. Studies suggest a positive association between air pollution and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of ambient particulate matters (PM), as potential carriers for SARS-CoV-2. Ambient PM samples in various size ranges were collected from 13 sites including urban and urban-background locations and hospital gardens in 10 cities across Turkey between 13th of May and 14th of June 2020 to investigate the possible presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on ambient PM. A total of 203 daily samples (TSP, n=80; PM 2.5 n=33; PM 2.5-10 , n=23; PM 10 μm, n=19; and 6 size segregated PM, n=48) were collected using various samplers. The N1 gene and RdRP gene expressions were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to real time (RT)-PCR and three-dimensional digital (3D-d) PCR analysis, dual RdRP and N1 gene positivity were detected in 20 (9.8 %) samples. Ambient PM-bound SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed quantitatively and the air concentrations of the virus ranged from 0.1 copies/m 3 to 23 copies/m 3 . The highest percentages of virus detection on PM samples were from hospital gardens in Tekirdağ, Zonguldak, and Istanbul, especially in PM 2.5 mode. Findings of this study have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 may be transported by ambient particles, especially at sites close to the infection hot-spots. However, whether this has an impact on the spread of the virus infection remains to be determined.
Since December 2019, most countries have been working to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19. These measures, which include restricting movement, have environmental consequences. This study assessed the impact of COVID-19 measures on air pollutant concentrations measured in urban areas and traffic stations on both the European and Asian sides of Istanbul during March 2020. Significant reductions in pollutants: 32-43% (PM 10), 19-47% (PM 2.5), 29-44% (NO 2), 40-58% (CO) and 34-69% (SO 2) were calculated. The clearest reductions at the traffic stations were in NO 2 which originates primarily from vehicle exhaust. The reduction of NO 2 at the traffic station on the European side was found higher comparing the Asian side. The average concentrations of NO 2 , PM 2.5 , PM 10 and CO during peak traffic hours were significantly (p < 0.01) decreased under COVID-19 measures. The results indicate that due to the measures taken in Istanbul and across Turkey and to control the spread of the virus, anthropogenic activities such as industry, vehicle traffic and sea transport have decreased, and consequently, air pollution has been significantly reduced. These pollutant levels demonstrate the anthropogenic contribution to air pollution and can inform clean air actions in Istanbul and in others cities throughout the world.
Abstract. The Indian megacity of Delhi suffers from some of the poorest air quality in the world. While ambient NO2 and particulate matter (PM) concentrations have received considerable attention in the city, high ground-level ozone (O3) concentrations are an often overlooked component of pollution. O3 can lead to significant ecosystem damage and agricultural crop losses, and adversely affect human health. During October 2018, concentrations of speciated non-methane hydrocarbon volatile organic compounds (C2–C13), oxygenated volatile organic compounds (o-VOCs), NO, NO2, HONO, CO, SO2, O3, and photolysis rates, were continuously measured at an urban site in Old Delhi. These observations were used to constrain a detailed chemical box model utilising the Master Chemical Mechanism v3.3.1. VOCs and NOx (NO + NO2) were varied in the model to test their impact on local O3 production rates, P(O3), which revealed a VOC-limited chemical regime. When only NOx concentrations were reduced, a significant increase in P(O3) was observed; thus, VOC co-reduction approaches must also be considered in pollution abatement strategies. Of the VOCs examined in this work, mean morning P(O3) rates were most sensitive to monoaromatic compounds, followed by monoterpenes and alkenes, where halving their concentrations in the model led to a 15.6 %, 13.1 %, and 12.9 % reduction in P(O3), respectively. P(O3) was not sensitive to direct changes in aerosol surface area but was very sensitive to changes in photolysis rates, which may be influenced by future changes in PM concentrations. VOC and NOx concentrations were divided into emission source sectors, as described by the Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research (EDGAR) v5.0 Global Air Pollutant Emissions and EDGAR v4.3.2_VOC_spec inventories, allowing for the impact of individual emission sources on P(O3) to be investigated. Reducing road transport emissions only, a common strategy in air pollution abatement strategies worldwide, was found to increase P(O3), even when the source was removed in its entirety. Effective reduction in P(O3) was achieved by reducing road transport along with emissions from combustion for manufacturing and process emissions. Modelled P(O3) reduced by ∼ 20 ppb h−1 when these combined sources were halved. This study highlights the importance of reducing VOCs in parallel with NOx and PM in future pollution abatement strategies in Delhi.
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