Influence of lockdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution and carcinogenic content of particulate matter observed in Croatia

Due to the pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 in Croatia, all unnecessary activities were prohibited during the designated lockdown period (March–May 2020). With reduced human activity, levels of some air pollutants decreased. In this study, mass concentrations of the PM(1) particle fraction (particulate matter with an equivalent aerodynamic diameter < 1 μm) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM(1) and NO(2) were measured and compared with concentrations measured in the same period the year before. Air pollutant concentrations were measured at two measuring sites: urban residential and urban traffic. Our results show a concentration decrease by 35% for NO(2) and PM(1) particles and by 26% for total PAHs at the traffic measuring site. At the residential measuring site, only concentrations of NO(2) decreased slightly, but PM(1) particles and PAHs were similar to the year before.