Changes in air quality related to the control of coronavirus in China: Implications for traffic and industrial emissions

Measures taken to control the disease (Covid-19) caused by the novel coronavirus dramatically reduced the number of vehicles on the road and diminished factory production. For this study, changes in the air quality index (AQI) and the concentrations of six air pollutants (PM(2.5), PM(10), CO, SO(2), NO(2), and O(3)) were evaluated during the Covid-19 control period in northern China. Overall, the air quality improved, most likely due to reduced emissions from the transportation and secondary industrial sectors. Specifically, the transportation sector was linked to the NO(2) emission reductions, while lower emissions from secondary industries were the major cause for the reductions of PM(2.5) and CO. The reduction in SO(2) concentrations was only linked to the industrial sector. However, the reductions in emissions did not fully eliminate air pollution, and O(3) actually increased, possibly because lower fine particle loadings led to less scavenging of HO(2) and as a result greater O(3) production. These results also highlight need to control emissions from the residential sector.