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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Air Quality of the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo: Analysis Based on Satellite Data, Monitoring Stations and Records of Annual Average Daily Traffic Volumes on the Main Access Roads to the City

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Author(s):
Perez-Martinez, Pedro Jose [1] ; Magalhaes, Tiago [1] ; Maciel, Isabela [1] ; de Miranda, Regina M. [2] ; Kumar, Prashant [3]
Total Authors: 5
Affiliation:
[1] Univ Estadual Campinas, Sch Civil Engn Architecture & Urban Design, Rua Saturnino Brito 224, BR-13083889 Campinas - Brazil
[2] Univ Sao Paulo, Sch Arts Sci & Humanities, Rua Arlindo Bettio 1000, BR-03828000 Sao Paulo - Brazil
[3] Univ Surrey, Dept Civil & Environm Engn, Global Ctr Clean Air Res GCARE, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey - England
Total Affiliations: 3
Document type: Journal article
Source: ATMOSPHERE; v. 13, n. 1 JAN 2022.
Web of Science Citations: 0
Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the air quality of the Metropolitan Region of Sao Paulo (MRSP). The effects of social distancing are still recent in the society; however, it was possible to observe patterns of environmental changes in places that had adhered transportation measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Thus, from the analysis of the traffic volumes made on some of the main access highways to the MRSP, as well as the monitoring of the levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2), directly linked to atmospheric emissions from motor vehicles-which make up about 95% of air polluting agents in the region in different locations-we showed relationships between the improvement in air quality and the decrease in vehicles that access the MRSP. To improve the data analysis, therefore, the isolation index parameter was evaluated to provide daily information on the percentage of citizens in each municipality of the state that was effectively practicing social distancing. The intersection of these groups of data determined that the COVID-19 pandemic reduced the volume of vehicles on the highways by up to 50% of what it was in 2019, with the subsequent recovery of the traffic volume, even surpassing the values from the baseline year. Thus, the isolation index showed a decline of up to 20% between its implementation in March 2020 and December 2020. These data and the way they varied during 2020 allowed to observe an improvement of up to 50% in analyzed periods of the pollutants PM2.5, CO and NO2 in the MRSP. The main contribution of this study, alongside the synergistic use of data from different sources, was to perform traffic flow analysis separately for light and heavy duty vehicles (LDVs and HDVs). The relationships between traffic volume patterns and COVID-19 pollution were analyzed based on time series. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 18/10714-4 - Novel high-resolution spatial mapping of health and climate emissions from urban transport in São Paulo megacity (NOTS)
Grantee:Pedro Jose Perez-Martinez
Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants