COVID-19 restrictions and their influences on ambient air, surface water and plastic waste in a coastal megacity, Chennai, India
2021
Robin, R.S. | Purvaja, R. | Ganguly, D. | Hariharan, G. | Paneerselvam, A. | Sundari, R.T. | Karthik, R. | Neethu, C.S. | Saravanakumar, C. | Semanti, P. | Prasad, M.H.K. | Mugilarasan, M. | Rohan, S. | Ār̲umukam, Kā. | Samuel, V.D. | Ramesh, R.
Anthropogenic activities experienced a pause due to the nationwide lockdown, imposed to contain the rapid spread of COVID-19 in the third week of March 2020. The impacts of suspension of industrial activities, vehicular transport and other businesses for three months (25 March-30 June) on the environmental settings of Chennai, a coastal megacity was assessed. A significant reduction in the key urban air pollutants [PM₂.₅ (66.5%), PM₁₀ (39.5%), NO₂ (94.1%), CO (29%), O₃ (45.3%)] was recorded as an immediate consequence of the reduced anthropogenic activities. Comparison of water quality of an urban river Adyar, between pre-lockdown and lockdown, showed a substantial drop in the dissolved inorganic N (47%) and suspended particulate matter (41%) during the latter period. During the pandemic, biomedical wastes in India showed an overall surge of 17%, which were predominantly plastic. FTIR-ATR analysis confirmed the polymers such as polypropylene (25.4%) and polyester (15.4%) in the personal protective equipment.
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