The impact of COVID-19 partial lockdown on the air quality of the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Abstract

The first COVID-19 case in Brazil was confirmed on February 25, 2020. On March 16, the state's governor declared public health emergency in the city of Rio de Janeiro and partial lockdown measures came into force a week later. The main goal of this work is to discuss the impact of the measures on the air quality of the city by comparing the particulate matter, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone concentrations determined during the partial lockdown with values obtained in the same period of 2019 and also with the weeks prior to the virus outbreak. Concentrations varied with substantial differences among pollutants and also among the three studied monitoring stations. CO levels showed the most significant reductions (30.3-48.5%) since they were related to light-duty vehicular emissions. NO₂ also showed reductions while PM₁₀ levels were only reduced in the first lockdown week. In April, an increase in vehicular flux and movement of people was observed mainly as a consequence of the lack of consensus about the importance and need of social distancing and lockdown. Ozone concentrations increased probably due to the decrease in nitrogen oxides level. When comparing with the same period of 2019, NO₂ and CO median values were 24.1-32.9 and 37.0-43.6% lower. Meteorological interferences, mainly the transport of pollutants from the industrial areas might have also impacted the results.

Keywords: COVID-19; Carbon monoxide; Lockdown; Nitrogen dioxide; Ozone; PM(10).

Graphical abstract

Fig. 1

Localization of the monitoring stations in districts of Irajá (ID), Bangu (BD) and Tijuca (TD). Wind roses and photographs of the locations are also show as well as the industrial areas of Campo Grande (CG, western), Santa Cruz (SC, west), Belford Roxo (BR, northern), Nova Iguaçu (NI, northern) and Duque de Caxias (DC, northeastern).

Fig. 2

Concentration values (μg m⁻³) determined at Irajá monitoring station from March 2 to April 16, 2020. a) O₃; b) PM₁₀; c) NO₂. The lockdown began on March 23, 2020.

Fig. 3

Concentration values determined at Bangu monitoring station from March 2 to April 16, 2020. a) O₃ (μg m⁻³); b) PM₁₀ (μg m⁻³); c) NO₂ (μg m⁻³); d) CO (ppm). The lockdown began on March 23, 2020.

Fig. 4

Concentration values determined at Tijuca monitoring station from March 2 to April 16, 2020. a) O₃ (μg m⁻³); b) PM₁₀ (μg m⁻³); c) CO (ppm). The lockdown began on March 23, 2020.

Fig. 5

Concentration values of PM₁₀ (μg m⁻³) determined at a) Irajá, b) Bangu and c) Tijuca monitoring station from March 2 to April 12, 2020. PM₁₀ concentrations were not determined from March 2 to March 8 in Bangu.

Fig. 6

Concentration values of NO₂ (μg m⁻³) determined at a) Irajá and b) Bangu monitoring station from March 2 to April 12, 2020. NO₂ concentrations were not determined in Tijuca.

Fig. 7

Concentration values of CO (ppm) determined at a) Bangu and c) Tijuca monitoring station from March 2 to April 12, 2020. CO concentrations were not determined in Irajá.

Fig. 8

O₃ concentrations (μg m⁻³) determined at a) Irajá, b) Bangu and c) Tijuca monitoring station from March 2 to April 12, 2020.