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Contrasting the Impact of Traffic Changes on Air Quality During the COVID-19 Lockdowns in Maryland and Florida
KIARA MEGGITT-GOFF, Mariel Judd, Tate Grant, Scott Parr, Marwa El-Sayed, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
Abstract Number: 710
Working Group: Urban Aerosols
Abstract
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused lockdowns worldwide, which in turn lead to dramatic reductions in traffic patterns and consequently resulted in changes in the concentrations of several atmospheric criteria pollutants. The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the changes in traffic patterns during the pandemic lockdowns on air quality across two diverse regions in the eastern United States, namely the states of Florida and Maryland. Four criteria pollutants are considered in this study including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter less than 2.5 micron (PM2.5). Hourly pollutant concentrations during 2015-2020 is acquired from the Maryland Department of the Environment and Florida Department of Environmental Protection in Maryland and Florida, respectively. Vehicle classified traffic data in 2019 and 2020 were retrieved from the Florida and Maryland Departments of Transportation, for Florida and Maryland, respectively. To characterize the impact of the lockdowns on traffic and air quality, data from 30 (Florida) and 21 (Maryland) monitoring sites pertaining to 2020 is compared to historic data in three periods, namely pre-lockdown, lockdown, and post-lockdown. Statistical correlations are tested to determine relationships between traffic patterns and air quality in the two studied regions. Results herein will provide insight into the impact of vehicular emissions on air quality and has implications for future policies on emissions related to different classes of vehicles.