Compensatory effect of biomass burning on black carbon concentrations during COVID-19 lockdown at a high-altitude station in SW India.

ABSTRACT: The characteristics of black carbon (BC) aerosols, their sources, and their impact on atmospheric radiative forcing were extensively studied during the COVID-19 lockdown (28th March-31st May 2020) at a high-altitude rural site over the Western Ghats in southwest India. BC concentration and the contribution of BC originating from biomass burning (BC_bb) estimated from the aethalometer model during the lockdown period were compared with the same periods in 2017 and 2018 and with the pre-lockdown period (1st February to March 20, 2020). BC concentrations were 44, 19, and 17% lower during the lockdown period compared with the pre-lockdown periods of 2020 and similar periods (28th March to 31st May) of 2017 and 2018, respectively. BC_bb contributed ∼50% to total BC during th

SUBMITTER: Mukherjee S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9514839 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature