The Effects of COVID-19 Lockdown on Air Pollutant Concentrations across China: A Google Earth Engine-Based Analysis

Siyu Wang, Haijiao Chu, Changyu Gong, Ping Wang, Fei Wu () and Chunhong Zhao ()
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Siyu Wang: School of Geographical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Haijiao Chu: School of Geographical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Changyu Gong: School of Geographical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Ping Wang: School of Geographical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
Fei Wu: CenNavi Technologies Co., Ltd., Beijing 100094, China
Chunhong Zhao: School of Geographical Sciences, Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security of Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 24, 1-14

Abstract: To overcome the spread of the severe COVID-19 outbreak, various lockdown measures have been taken worldwide. China imposed the strictest home-quarantine measures during the COVID-19 outbreak in the year 2020. This provides a valuable opportunity to study the impact of anthropogenic emission reductions on air quality. Based on the GEE platform and satellite imagery, this study analyzed the changes in the concentrations of NO 2 , O 3 , CO, and SO 2 in the same season (1 February–1 May) before and after the epidemic control (2019–2021) for 16 typical representative cities of China. The results showed that NO 2 concentrations significantly decreased by around 20–24% for different types of metropolises, whereas O 3 increased for most of the studied metropolises, including approximately 7% in megacities and other major cities. Additionally, the concentrations of CO and SO 2 showed no statistically significant changes during the study intervals. The study also indicated strong variations in air pollutants among different geographic regions. In addition to the methods in this study, it is essential to include the differences in meteorological impact factors in the study to identify future references for air pollution reduction measures.

Keywords: urban; remote sensing; air pollutants; COVID-19; Google Earth Engine; China (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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