Effects of air pollution on the potential transmission and mortality of COVID-19: A preliminary case-study in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain)

Abstract

The number of studies published on COVID-19 in recent months is certainly impressive. However, there are still important gaps to know a great number of characteristics of this disease. Among these, some potential ways of transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 and the different reasons for the severity of the disease in different people. Various studies have suggested that certain air pollutants could be increasing the transmission of the coronavirus, as well as the risks of COVID-19 incidence and mortality. In the present preliminary case-study conducted in Tarragona Province (Catalonia, Spain), we studied the potential association of COVID-19 with PM 10 , NO 2 and O 3 , as well as the differences in the incidence and lethality of this disease. This Province is divided into two “health regions”: Camp de Tarragona, with an important industrial complex, and Terres de l’Ebre, with a great agricultural component. In spite of the notable limitations of the current study, our preliminary findings indicate that the industrialized/urban areas of Tarragona Province show a higher incidence and mortality of COVID-19 than the agricultural/rural zones. These – and previous – results would highlight the importance of conducting specific investigations focused on directly assessing whether air pollutants such as particulate matter can act as carriers of the SARS-CoV-2. If confirmed, the recommendation on keeping the “social distance” (1.5–2 m) might need to be adapted to this situation.

Associations between mortality from COVID-19 in two Italian regions and outdoor air pollution as assessed through tropospheric nitrogen dioxide

“…Similarly, an Italian study assessing air pollution exposure using PM 2.5 concentrations in Northern Italy municipalities found a positive association with mortality related to COVID-19, a 1 μg/m 3 increase being associated with a 9% increase in COVID-19 mortality (Coker et al, 2020). In addition, two Spanish studies found a higher incidence and mortality of COVID-19 in urban and industrial areas compared with rural areas in Tarragona (Marques et al, 2020), and an association between COVID-19 spread (including mortality) and nitrogen dioxide exposure in Catalonia (Saez et al, 2020). On the other hand, inconsistent results were reported from a study assessing the correlation between urban air pollution in the Milan metropolitan area and number of COVID-19 deaths, which found a negative correlation with air pollution assessed through surface levels of both PM 2.5 and PM 10 (Zoran et al, 2020b), and ground levels of nitrogen dioxide (Zoran et al, 2020a), but a positive one using ground levels of ozone, possibly due to the enhanced formation of outdoor airborne secondary aerosols (Zoran et al, 2020a).…”

The effects of some essential and toxic metals/metalloids in COVID-19: A review

“…In a recent review of the scientific literature, we found clear evidences supporting an association between air concentrations of some pollutants and human respiratory viruses interacting to adversely affect the respiratory system ( Domingo and Rovira, 2020 ). Particular attention has been paid to the association between air pollutants and the transmission and severity of the effects caused by SARS-CoV-2 ( Domingo and Rovira, 2020 ; Domingo et al, 2020 ; Marquès et al, 2021 ). Based on the results of most studies, we concluded that chronic exposure to certain air pollutants is leading to more severe and lethal forms of COVID-19 and delays/complicates the recovery of patients suffering this disease ( Domingo et al, 2020 ).…”

Contamination of inert surfaces by SARS-CoV-2: Persistence, stability and infectivity. A review

“…In this sense, Setti et al (2020a) raised the question whether two meters of interpersonal distance would be enough to avoid the person-to-person transmission of the coronavirus. In recent months, a number of studies on this topic have been conducted ( Adhikari and Yin, 2020 ; Comunian et al, 2020 ; Marquès et al, 2020 ; Setti et al, 2020b , c , d ; Yao et al, 2020 ; Zoran et al, 2020 ).…”