Changes in air pollution levels after COVID-19 outbreak in Korea
- Authors
- Ju, Min Jae; Oh, Jaehyun; Choi, Yoon-Hyeong
- Issue Date
- Jan-2021
- Publisher
- ELSEVIER
- Keywords
- COVID-19; Air pollution; Social distancing; Particulate matter
- Citation
- SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT, v.750
- Journal Title
- SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
- Volume
- 750
- URI
- https://scholarworks.bwise.kr/gachon/handle/2020.sw.gachon/79372
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141521
- ISSN
- 0048-9697
- Abstract
- In order to control the spread of COVID-19, social distancing measures were implemented in many countries. This study investigated changes in air pollution during the social distancing after the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea. Ambient PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and CO that are particularly related to industrial activities and traffic were reduced during the social distancing in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. In March 2020, immediately after social distancing, mean levels of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, and CO decreased nationwide from last year's mean levels by 16.98 mu g/m(3), 21.61 mu g/m(3), 4.16 ppb, and 0.09 ppm, respectively (p-value for the year-to-year difference <0.001, =0.001, =0.008, <0.001), a decrease by 45.45%, 35.56%, 20.41%, and 17.33%, respectively. Changes in ambient O-3 or SO2 were not observed to be attributable to social distancing. Our findings, that such effort for a short period of time resulted in a significant reduction in air pollution, may point toward reducing air pollution as a public health problem in a more sustainable post-COVID-19 world. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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