COVID-19 prevention, air pollution and transportation patterns in the absence of a lockdown.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies demonstrate that air quality improved during the coronavirus pandemic due to the imposition of social lockdowns. We investigate the impact of COVID-19 on air pollution in the two largest cities in Taiwan, which were not subject to economic or mobility restrictions. Using a difference-in-differences approach and real-time data on air quality and transportation, we estimate that anthropogenic air pollution from local sources increased during working days and decreased during non-working days during the COVID-19 pandemic. This led to a 3-7 percent increase in CO, O₃, SO₂, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5. We demonstrate that the increase in air pollution resulted from a shift in preferred mode of travel away from public transportation and towards perso

SUBMITTER: Chang HH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8352669 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature