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. 2020 Aug 25:732:139281.
doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139281. Epub 2020 May 11.

COVID-19 pandemic persuaded lockdown effects on environment over stone quarrying and crushing areas

Indrajit Mandal  1 , Swades Pal  2
Affiliations

COVID-19 pandemic persuaded lockdown effects on environment over stone quarrying and crushing areas

Indrajit Mandal et al. Sci Total Environ. .

Abstract

Stone quarrying and crushing spits huge stone dust to the environment and causes threats to ecosystem components as well as human health. Imposing emergency lockdown to stop infection of COVID 19 virus on 24.03.2020 in India has created economic crisis but it has facilitated environment to restore its quality. Global scale study has already proved the qualitative improvement of air quality but its possible impact at regional level is not investigated yet. Middle catchment of Dwarka river basin of Eastern India is well known for stone quarrying and crushing and therefore the region is highly polluted. The present study has attempted to explore the impact of forced lockdown on environmental components like Particulate matter (PM) 10, Land surface temperature (LST), river water quality, noise using image and field derived data in pre and during lockdown periods. Result clearly exhibits that Maximum PM10 concentration was 189 to 278 μg/m3 in pre lockdown period and it now ranges from 50 to 60 μg/m3 after 18 days of the commencement of lockdown in selected four stone crushing clusters. LST is reduced by 3-5 °C, noise level is dropped to <65dBA which was above 85dBA in stone crusher dominated areas in pre lockdown period. Adjacent river water is qualitatively improved due to stoppage of dust release to the river. For instance, total dissolve solid (TDS) level in river water adjacent to crushing unit is attenuated by almost two times. When entire world is worried about the appropriate policies for abating environmental pollution, this emergency lockdown shows an absolute way i.e. pollution source management may restore environment and ecosystem with very rapid rate.

Keywords: Concentration of particulate matter; Environmental components; Lockdown; Noise pollution; River water quality; Surface temperature.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest None. The authors whose names are listed certify that they have NO affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest (such as honoraria; educational grants; participation in speakers' bureaus; membership, employment, consultancies, stock ownership, or other equity interest; and expert testimony or patent-licensing arrangements), or non-financial interest (such as personal or professional relationships, affiliations, knowledge or beliefs) in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. With regards.

Figures

Unlabelled Image
Graphical abstract
Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Location of the study area: (a) Dwarka river basin within India and (b) Geographical extension of the basin within Jharkhand & West Bengal (c) selected clusters within the Dwarka river basin (d–g) Clusters 1 to 4 with village boundary.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Cluster wise particulate matter 10 in pre lockdown and during the lockdown period.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Distance decay rate of PM10 concentration from crushing unit (12.03.2020 and 28.03.2020), average of 20 cross sections of PM10 in each clusters are taken into account for showing distance decay of particulate matter concentration (a) indicates PM10 change at cluster 1 (b) at cluster 2 (c) at cluster 3 and (d) at cluster 4.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Cluster specific LST in different phases.
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Cluster wise ambiance noise level in pre lockdown and during the lockdown period.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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