Potential impact of COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on environmental parameters

Abstract

COVID-19 had an impact on the daily life, human activities, various sectors, and the environment. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (COVID-19 PL) on the environmental parameters. The studied environmental parameters were solid waste, noise, air, water, wastewater (WW), soil and green areas, natural environment and resources, light pollution, radiation pollution, energy and others. The main environmental issues were divided into seventy sub-parameters. Results revealed that COVID-19 PL increased a number of parameters, such as domestic and hospital wastes, noise at home, aquatic life and water quality, domestic WW amount, green areas, animal and birds movement, natural energy, rodents etc.; while, it decreased several factors for instance commercial/industrial solid waste, traffic and outdoor noises, air pollution and particles, water contamination, WW production, cutting trees and hunting, fuel extraction and mining, artificial light and radiation, fuel combustion, tourist etc. Alternatively, some parameters, such as black water, natural radiation, and normal lighting remained as before COVID-19 PL. Positive, nil, and negative impacts of the parameters on the environment due to COVID-19 PL were 81.43 %, 5.71 %, and 12.86 %, respectively. Positive impacts of the COVID-19 PL on the environment were greater than negative influences and lockdown was regarded as a respiration of the natural environment. Currently, prediction of seasonal impact on spreading COVID-19 is difficult.COVID-19 je imao uticaj na svakodnevni život, ljudske aktivnosti, različite sektore i životnu sredinu. Shodno tome, cilj ovog istraživanja je bio ispitivanje uticaja zabrane kretanja tokom pandemije COVID-19 virusa na parametre životne sredine. Ispitivani su sledeći parametri životne sredine: čvrst otpad, buka, vazduh, voda, otpadna voda, zemljane i zelene površine, prirodno okruženje i resursi, svetlosno zagađenje, zagađenje radijacijom, energija i drugi. Glavni problemi zaštite životne sredine su podeljeni na sedamdeset podparametara. Rezultati su pokazali da je pandemija COVID-19 virusa uticala na povećanje brojnih parametara, kao što su kućni i bolnički otpad, buka u kući, vodeni život i kvalitet vode, količina otpadnih voda u domaćinstvu, zelene površine, kretanje životinja i ptica, prirodna energija, glodari i drugi. S druge strane, pandemija je uticala na smanjenje nekoliko drugih faktora, kao što su komeracijalni/industrijski čvrsti otpad, buka u saobraćaju i na otvorenom, zagađenje vazduha i prisustvo čestica, zagađenje vode, zagađenje otpadnim vodama, seča drveća i lov, sagorevanje goriva i rudarstvo, turisti i drugi. Pored toga, neki parametri, poput crne vode, prirodne radijacije i normalnog osvetljenja, ostali su isti kao i pre pandemije COVID19. Pozitivni, nulti i negativni uticaj parametara na životnu sredinu su iznosili 81,43 %. 5,71 % i 12,86 %. Pozitivni uticaj pandemije na životnu sredinu je bio veći od negativnog uticaja, a zabrana kretanja može da se posmatra kao period disanja prirodnog okruženja. Trenutno je teško predvideti sezonski uticaj na širenje COVID-19 virusa.