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On the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Air Quality in Florida
MARWA EL-SAYED, Yasin Elshorbany, Kirsten Koehler, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract Number: 330
Working Group: Urban Aerosols
Abstract
Earlier this year, the world has faced an unprecedented pandemic caused by the novel COVID-19 virus. Although directly infecting more than 10 million and killing almost half a million people around the globe to data, this pandemic has indirectly impacted the lives of many. The shutdown associated with the pandemic has profound negative economical and social impacts. Most cities worldwide have been locked down leading to significant reduction in daily commutes, changes in transportation patterns and traffic load, as well as increases in emissions from liquefied petroleum gas due to residential uses. Even though preliminary studies show improvements in air quality in several places during the lockdown, yet this impact is not fully understood. The goal of this study is to investigate the impact of this lockdown on air quality in six major cities across the state of Florida, namely: Orlando, Miami, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Jacksonville, and Tampa. Hourly measurements of PM2.5, ozone, NO2, SO2, and CO in addition to meteorological data were provided by the US EPA through six sites operated by Florida Department of Environmental Protection during mid-March to mid-April in 2020, the period in which the state was mostly shut down. The significance of the lockdown on the atmosphere is tested in Florida by comparing levels of pollutants in 2020 to average concentrations in 2015-2019 at all sites. Satellite data of the pollutants are also used to investigate regional patterns. Using these remote sensing products, the spatial distribution of atmospheric pollutants is examined to better understand the effect of transport on the levels of pollutants in Florida. The impact of the pandemic on human exposure is also presented. Results herein provide insight into the soures of atmospheric pollutants and their significance in the state of Florida.