COVID-19 Lockdown and Improvement in Air Quality Index: A Learning Lesson

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorYadav, SRen_US
dc.contributor.authorKumar, Ren_US
dc.contributor.authorChakrabarti, Sen_US
dc.contributor.authorGupta, Nen_US
dc.contributor.authorIsh, Pen_US
dc.contributor.authorBhattacharya, Den_US
dc.contributor.authorGupta, NK.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-09T06:06:27Z
dc.date.available2023-08-09T06:06:27Z
dc.date.issued2022-09
dc.description.abstractIntroduction: The basic requirements for human survival include air, food, and water; a decrease in quality of which has a deep impact on health. An increase in population with increasing globalization, industrialization, and increased energy demand has led to increased air pollution in cities world over. Multiple national programs to improve air quality have been unsuccessful. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic-led lockdown is a large-scale experiment that is unprecedented and could not have been done at regular times. Indirect effects include cutting down emissions from industries, vehicles, and diesel generators. Materials and methods: In this ambispective observational study, we compared the air quality index (AQI) and levels of other pollutants in the two cities of Delhi and Kanpur during the period of the lockdown, the same period during the preceding year, and during the rainy season. Results: It was observed that the cities of India with notoriously polluted air, i.e., Delhi and Kanpur, had unprecedented improvement in air quality during lockdown (Delhi, AQI: 86.91 � 32.38 vs 249.36 � 60.25 and Kanpur, AQI: 81.60 � 38.54 vs 137.06 � 46.74). The improvement was even better than the preceding year's monsoon for Delhi. The AQI was comparable in both cities during the lockdown. Conclusion: The AQI was falling in the 搒atisfactory� range in both Delhi and Kanpur during the lockdown. This may, in turn, favorably unfold a reduction in the incidence, progression, and exacerbation of respiratory illnesses. This is an eye-opening change and calls for urgent action to maintain the same. Timely and well-framed steps should be sought; a revolutionary carbon-free and green energy economic model is much needed. Most air pollution is preventable and can be managed by humans if a stringent action plan is rolled out and implemented sternly by government agencies.en_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsDepartment of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, New Delhi, Indiaen_US
dc.identifier.affiliationsDepartment of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Indiaen_US
dc.identifier.citationYadav SR, Kumar R, Chakrabarti S, Gupta N, Ish P, Bhattacharya D, Gupta NK.. COVID-19 Lockdown and Improvement in Air Quality Index: A Learning Lesson . Indian Journal of Chest Diseases & Allied Sciences. 2022 Sep; 64(3): 199-206en_US
dc.identifier.issn0377-9343
dc.identifier.placeIndiaen_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://imsear.searo.who.int/handle/123456789/221823
dc.languageenen_US
dc.publisherJaypee Brothers Medical Publishers Pvt. Ltden_US
dc.relation.issuenumber3en_US
dc.relation.volume64en_US
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.5005/jp-journals-11007-0038en_US
dc.subjectAir pollutionen_US
dc.subjectAir quality indexen_US
dc.subjectCoronavirus disease 2019en_US
dc.subjectLockdownen_US
dc.titleCOVID-19 Lockdown and Improvement in Air Quality Index: A Learning Lessonen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
IJCDAS2022v64n3p199.pdf
Size:
1.67 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
Collections
Indian Journal of Chest Diseases & Allied Sciences