Abstract

Delhi, a tropical Indian megacity, experiences one of the most severe air pollution in the world, linked with diverse anthropogenic and biomass burning emissions. First phase of COVID-19 lockdown in India, implemented during 25 March to 14 April 2020 resulted in a dramatic near-zeroing of various activities (e.g. traffic, industries, constructions), except the “essential services”. Here, we analysed variations in the fine particulate matter (PM2.5) over the Delhi-National Capital Region. Measurements revealed large reductions (by 40–70%) in PM2.5 during the first week of lockdown (25–31 March 2020) as compared to the pre-lockdown conditions. However, O3 pollution remained high during the lockdown due to non-linear chemistry and dynamics under low aerosol loading. Notably, events of enhanced PM2.5 levels (300–400 µg m−3) were observed during night and early morning hours in the first week of April after air temperatures fell close to the dew-point (~ 15–17 °C). A haze formation mechanism is suggested through uplifting of fine particles, which is reinforced by condensation of moisture following the sunrise. The study highlights a highly complex interplay between the baseline pollution and meteorology leading to counter intuitive enhancements in pollution, besides an overall improvement in air quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in this part of the world.

Details

Title
PM2.5 diminution and haze events over Delhi during the COVID-19 lockdown period: an interplay between the baseline pollution and meteorology
Author
Dhaka, Surendra K 1 ; Chetna 2 ; Kumar, Vinay 1 ; Panwar Vivek 1 ; Dimri, A P 3 ; Singh, Narendra 4 ; Patra, Prabir K 5 ; Matsumi Yutaka 6 ; Takigawa Masayuki 5 ; Nakayama Tomoki 7 ; Yamaji Kazuyo 8 ; Kajino Mizuo 9 ; Misra Prakhar 10 ; Hayashida Sachiko 11 

 Rajdhani College, University of Delhi, Radio and Atmospheric Physics Lab, New Delhi, India (GRID:grid.8195.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2109 4999) 
 University of Delhi, Department of Physics and Astrophysics, New Delhi, India (GRID:grid.8195.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2109 4999) 
 Jawaharlal Nehru University, School of Environmental Sciences, New Delhi, India (GRID:grid.10706.30) (ISNI:0000 0004 0498 924X) 
 Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational SciencES (ARIES), Nainital, India (GRID:grid.440527.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 1019 6308) 
 Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Yokohama, Japan (GRID:grid.410588.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2191 0132) 
 Nagoya University, Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research, Nagoya, Japan (GRID:grid.27476.30) (ISNI:0000 0001 0943 978X) 
 Nagasaki University, Faculty of Environmental Science, Nagasaki, Japan (GRID:grid.174567.6) (ISNI:0000 0000 8902 2273) 
 Kobe University, Graduate School of Maritime Sciences, Kobe, Japan (GRID:grid.31432.37) (ISNI:0000 0001 1092 3077) 
 Japan Meteorological Agency, Meteorological Research Institute, Tsukuba, Japan (GRID:grid.237586.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 0597 9981) 
10  Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan (GRID:grid.410846.f) (ISNI:0000 0000 9370 8809) 
11  Research Institute for Humanity and Nature, Kyoto, Japan (GRID:grid.410846.f) (ISNI:0000 0000 9370 8809); Nara Women’s University, Faculty of Science, Nara, Japan (GRID:grid.174568.9) (ISNI:0000 0001 0059 3836) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
2020
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
20452322
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2432264240
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2020. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.