COVID-19 restrictions and their influences on ambient air, surface water and plastic waste in a coastal megacity, Chennai, India

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.

COVID-19 restrictions and their influences on ambient air, surface water and plastic waste in a coastal megacity, Chennai, India

2021

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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