COVID-19 Lock-down and Air Quality Enhancement in Kabul

Abstract

COVID-19 has spread rapidly all over the world and affects most people. Lock-down due to the COVID-19 has enhanced air quality in most populated cities of the world. In this study, the air quality of Kabul city pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 is assessed. Five parameters (pollutants) in air quality have been assessed which are: suspended particles with the diameter (PM10, PM2.5), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur oxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and ozone (O3). The air quality parameters have been compared with their National Air Quality Standard values. The air quality of Kabul pre-COVID-19 was hazardous and not healthy. In post-COVID-19 lock-down the air quality of the city has enhanced. The air quality of Afghanistan is not safe, especially in major cities. Kabul is the capital of the country which is suffering from poor air quality.

Keywords

• Air quality
• COVID-19
• Particulate Matter
• Nitrogen Dioxide
• Sulfur Oxide
• Ozone

References

1. [1] Stratoulias, D. and Nuthammachot, N., 2020, Air quality development during the COVID-19 pandemic over a medium-sized urban area in Thailand, Science of The Total Environment, 746, 141320.
2. [2] Sharma, M., Jain, S. and Lamba, B. Y., 2020, Epigrammatic study on the effect of lockdown amid Covid-19 pandemic on air quality of most polluted cities of Rajasthan (India), Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health, 13(10), 1157-1165.
3. [3] Mahato, S., Pal, S. and Ghosh, K. G., 2020, Effect of lockdown amid COVID-19 pandemic on air quality of the megacity Delhi, India, The Science of the Total Environment, 730, Article 139086.
4. [4] Nakada, L. Y. K. and Urban, R. C., 2020, COVID-19 pandemic: Impacts on the air quality during the partial lockdown in São Paulo state, Brazil, Science of The Total Environment, 730, Article 139087.
5. [5] Dutheil, F., Baker, J. S. and Navel, V., 2020, COVID-19 as a factor influencing air pollution?, Environment and Pollution, 263, Article 114466.
6. [6] Saadat, S., Rawtani, D. and Hussain, C. M., 2020, Environmental perspective of COVID-19, The Science of the Total Environment, 728, Article 138870.
7. [7] Zambrano-Monserrate, M. A., Ruano, M. A. and Sanchez-Alcalde, L., 2020, Indirect effects of COVID-19 on the environment, The Science of the Total Environment, 728, Article 138813.
8. [8] Coccia, M., 2020, Factors determining the diffusion of COVID-19 and suggested strategy to prevent future accelerated viral infectivity similar to COVID, The Science of the Total Environment, 729, Article 138474.

9. [9] Wu, X., Nethery, R. C., Sabath, B. M., Braun, D. and Dominici, F., 2020, Exposure to air pollution and COVID-19 mortality in the United States: A nationwide cross-sectional study, medRxiv 2020.2004.2005.20054502.
10. [10] Kerimray, A., Baimatova, N., Ibragimova, O. P., Bukenov, B., Kenessov, B., Plotitsyn, P., et al., 2020, Assessing air quality changes in large cities during COVID-19 lock- downs: The impacts of trafc-free urban conditions in Almaty, Kazakhstan, The Science of the Total Environment, 730, Article 139179.
11. [11] Otmani, A., Benchrif, A., Tahri, M., Bounakhla, M., El Bouch, M. and Krombi, M. H., 2020, Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on PM10, SO2 and NO2 concentrations in Salé City (Morocco), The Science of the Total Environment, 735, Article 139541.