Variation of aerosol pollution in Peru during the quarantine due to COVID-19

Abstract

Due to COVID-19, which is a type of pneumonia produced by a coronavirus family virus, the Peruvian government has decreed mandatory social isolation. This isolation is extended until 26 April 2020. Due to this situation, people must stay at home and only go out to make purchases to cover basic needs. This situation, between other things, probably causes pollution reduction that is important for our ecosystem. In Peru, there is not a measurable way to quantify the impact of social isolation on air pollution. The present work aims to show more objectively how much decrease the aerosol pollution in Peru. For this purpose, one uses remote sensing data from Copernicus Data Hub of the European Space Agency, specifically, Sentinel-5 Precursor satellite. The results show an essential reduction of aerosol pollution in different regions of Peru, especially in Lima and the Amazon regions.