Impacts of covid-19 response actions on air quality in China

Abstract

An outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China in December 2019. In late January 2020, the Chinese government implemented strict quarantine measures across Hubei Province and other parts of the country to limit the transmission of COVID-19. An effect of these quarantine measures was the reduction in economic activity and associated emissions that contribute to air pollution. In this study, we quantify the spatial extent and magnitude of changes in air pollution concentrations across China by comparing complementary satellite, ground-based, and modeled data from the first two months of 2019 and 2020. We find a 48% reduction in satellite-derived average fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations in eastern China during a three-week period after the Lunar New Year (LNY) in 2020 compared to 2019, which follows significant declines in the pre-LNY period. We also observe a 49% and 11% decline in post-LNY satellite tropospheric column concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2). These satellite-based results are in general agreement with data collected from ground monitoring stations across the country, which show a decline in post-LNY PM2.5,NO2, and SO2 concentrations. Our modeling analysis suggests that these observed air quality improvements are driven primarily by the reduction in NO2 emissions, which indicate reductions in transportation and industrial pollution sources during COVID-19, but unfavorable meteorological conditions weaken the role of emissions reduction. Finally, we estimate a reduction by 5%, 14%, and 18% of days in the post-LNY period for 2020 that exceed national PM2.5 air quality targets for the entire country, eastern China, and Hubei Province. As more information becomes available on population characteristics and air pollution exposure patterns, this analysis can be extended to quantify human health related impacts to sudden changes in air pollution in China and other locations around the world.