Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data
Abstract The study aims to reveal the impact of three sequential strict-lockdowns of COVID-19 measures on the air pollutants including NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia during November 2020–February 2021 based on air quality network and satellite data. Based on measurements of autom...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Springer
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220196 |
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| author | Gantuya Ganbat Halim Lee Hyun-Woo Jo Batbayar Jadamba Daniel Karthe |
| author_facet | Gantuya Ganbat Halim Lee Hyun-Woo Jo Batbayar Jadamba Daniel Karthe |
| author_sort | Gantuya Ganbat |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract The study aims to reveal the impact of three sequential strict-lockdowns of COVID-19 measures on the air pollutants including NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia during November 2020–February 2021 based on air quality network and satellite data. Based on measurements of automatic air quality sites in Ulaanbaatar, we found a substantial decrease in NO2 (up to 45%), PM10 (72%), and PM2.5 (59%) compared to the same periods in the previous five years. On the other hand, up to a threefold increase in SO2 concentration was seen. Compared to 2015–2020, the number of days exceeding the national air quality standard level of NO2 decreased by 55% during November 2020–February 2021. A similar trend was observed for PM10 and PM2.5 (30% and 14%, respectively). Conversely, days exceeding the national air quality standard level of SO2 increased by 58%. The third strict-lockdown exhibited significant reductions in pollutant concentrations. The percentage exceeding the national standard level for NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 constituted 23%, 50%, and 67% during the lockdown periods while it was 89%, 84%, and 91%, respectively, for the same periods in the previous five years. Even though Sentinel 5P-TROPOMI data do not fully reflect the above findings, they add valuable insights into the spatial pollution pattern during strict-lockdown and non-lockdown periods. The study demonstrates that measures taken during the strict-lockdown periods clearly influenced the values of daily patterns of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 concentrations. On the contrary, it is important to note that SO2 concentration increased during the last two winter months after 2019. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-22a295ed86de4a7fa80685a75b86deb4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1680-8584 2071-1409 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Springer |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Aerosol and Air Quality Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-22a295ed86de4a7fa80685a75b86deb42025-02-09T12:18:06ZengSpringerAerosol and Air Quality Research1680-85842071-14092022-08-01221012010.4209/aaqr.220196Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI DataGantuya Ganbat0Halim Lee1Hyun-Woo Jo2Batbayar Jadamba3Daniel Karthe4Engineering Faculty, German-Mongolian Institute for Resources and Technology (GMIT)United Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES)Department of Environmental Science and Ecological Engineering, Korea UniversityNational Agency for Meteorology and Environmental Monitoring, Ministry of Environment and TourismUnited Nations University Institute for Integrated Management of Material Fluxes and of Resources (UNU-FLORES)Abstract The study aims to reveal the impact of three sequential strict-lockdowns of COVID-19 measures on the air pollutants including NO2, SO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia during November 2020–February 2021 based on air quality network and satellite data. Based on measurements of automatic air quality sites in Ulaanbaatar, we found a substantial decrease in NO2 (up to 45%), PM10 (72%), and PM2.5 (59%) compared to the same periods in the previous five years. On the other hand, up to a threefold increase in SO2 concentration was seen. Compared to 2015–2020, the number of days exceeding the national air quality standard level of NO2 decreased by 55% during November 2020–February 2021. A similar trend was observed for PM10 and PM2.5 (30% and 14%, respectively). Conversely, days exceeding the national air quality standard level of SO2 increased by 58%. The third strict-lockdown exhibited significant reductions in pollutant concentrations. The percentage exceeding the national standard level for NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 constituted 23%, 50%, and 67% during the lockdown periods while it was 89%, 84%, and 91%, respectively, for the same periods in the previous five years. Even though Sentinel 5P-TROPOMI data do not fully reflect the above findings, they add valuable insights into the spatial pollution pattern during strict-lockdown and non-lockdown periods. The study demonstrates that measures taken during the strict-lockdown periods clearly influenced the values of daily patterns of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 concentrations. On the contrary, it is important to note that SO2 concentration increased during the last two winter months after 2019.https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220196Air pollutionStrict lockdownCOVID-19Ulaanbaatar |
| spellingShingle | Gantuya Ganbat Halim Lee Hyun-Woo Jo Batbayar Jadamba Daniel Karthe Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data Aerosol and Air Quality Research Air pollution Strict lockdown COVID-19 Ulaanbaatar |
| title | Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data |
| title_full | Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data |
| title_fullStr | Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data |
| title_full_unstemmed | Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data |
| title_short | Assessment of COVID-19 Impacts on Air Quality in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, Based on Terrestrial and Sentinel-5P TROPOMI Data |
| title_sort | assessment of covid 19 impacts on air quality in ulaanbaatar mongolia based on terrestrial and sentinel 5p tropomi data |
| topic | Air pollution Strict lockdown COVID-19 Ulaanbaatar |
| url | https://doi.org/10.4209/aaqr.220196 |
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