COVID-19 prevention, air pollution and transportation patterns in the absence of a lockdown
Journal
Journal of Environmental Management
Journal Volume
298
Date Issued
2021
Author(s)
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 PM2.5. We demonstrate that the increase in air pollution resulted from a shift in preferred mode of travel away from public transportation and towards personal motor vehicles during working days. In particular, metro and shared bicycle usage decreased between 8 and 18 percent, on average, while automobile and scooter use increased between 11 and 21 percent during working days. Similar COVID-19 prevention behaviors in regions or countries emerging from lockdowns could likewise result in an increase in air pollution. Taking action to reduce the transmissibility of COVID-19 on metro cars, trains and buses could help policymakers limit the substitution of personal motor vehicles for public transit, and mitigate increases in air pollution when lifting mobility restrictions. ? 2021 Elsevier Ltd
Subjects
Anthropogenic air pollution
COVID-19
Disease prevention
Transportation demand
cobalt
oxide
sulfur oxide
air quality
anthropogenic effect
atmospheric pollution
concentration (composition)
pollution control
public transport
air monitoring
air pollution
Article
car
controlled study
coronavirus disease 2019
econometric model
elasticity
environmental policy
human
infection prevention
lockdown
motor vehicle
pandemic
particulate matter 10
particulate matter 2.5
Taiwan
traffic and transport
travel
virus transmission
air pollutant
city
communicable disease control
environmental monitoring
particulate matter
prevention and control
Coronavirus
Air Pollutants
Air Pollution
Cities
Communicable Disease Control
Environmental Monitoring
Humans
Pandemics
Particulate Matter
SARS-CoV-2
Type
journal article