Impact of COVID-19 restrictive precautions on air quality: case of Zonguldak, Turkey

Köklü R., Türkmen B. A., Deveci E. Ü., Gönen Ç.

International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management, vol.25, no.5, pp.406-426, 2022 (ESCI) identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 25 Issue: 5
  • Publication Date: 2022
  • Doi Number: 10.1504/ijetm.2022.125532
  • Journal Name: International Journal of Environmental Technology and Management
  • Journal Indexes: Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI), Scopus, PASCAL, ABI/INFORM, Aerospace Database, Aqualine, Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA), Business Source Elite, Business Source Premier, CAB Abstracts, Communication Abstracts, Compendex, Environment Index, Geobase, Greenfile, INSPEC, Metadex, Pollution Abstracts, Veterinary Science Database, Civil Engineering Abstracts
  • Page Numbers: pp.406-426
  • Keywords: air quality, COVID-19, NOx, pandemic, PM10, PM2.5, SO2, Zonguldak, Turkey
  • Bilecik Şeyh Edebali University Affiliated: Yes

Abstract

Copyright © 2022 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.The purpose of this study was to investigate and assess how restrictive COVID-19 precautions affect air quality in Zonguldak, as well as to determine the relationship between air quality and meteorological variables under these conditions. Daily PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NOx concentrations and meteorological data, from 1 March to 31 May 2018, 2019, and 2020 were collected for this research. During the 2020 restrictive COVID-19 precautions, it was determined that concentrations of air pollutants were different and low based on the 95% confidence interval by using paired t-test samples. Meteorological variables were found to be similar to previous years, and the correlation between them and air pollutants was found to be significant (P < 0.01) but low according to Pearson correlations. As a result, meteorological variables were determined to have no direct effect on the low concentrations of air quality emissions during the 2020 pandemic. The overall findings revealed that anthropogenic impact has a negative impact on air quality and the air quality had improved during the COVID pandemic. Furthermore, the restriction on the region's coalmines during the COVID-19 pandemic has significant impact on the improvement of air quality.