Long-Term COVID-19 Restrictions in Italy to Assess the Role of Seasonal Meteorological Conditions and Pollutant Emissions on Urban Air Quality

A year-round air quality analysis was addressed over four Italian cities (Milan, Turin, Bologna, and Florence) following the outbreak of the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. NO2, O-3, PM2.5, and PM10 daily observations were compared with estimations of meteorological variables and observations of anthropogenic emission drivers as road traffic and heating systems. Three periods in 2020 were analysed: (i) the first (winter/spring) lockdown, (ii) the (spring/summer) partial relaxation period, and (iii) the second (autumn/winter) lockdown. During the first lockdown, only NO2 concentrations decreased systematically (and significantly, between -41.9 and -53.9%), mainly due to the drastic traffic reduction (-70 to -74%); PM2.5 varied between -21 and +18%, PM10 varied between -23 and +9%, and O-3 increased (up to +17%). During the partly relaxation period, no air quality issues were observed. The second lockdown was particularly critical as, although road traffic significantly reduced (-30 to -44%), PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations dramatically increased (up to +87 and +123%, respectively), mostly due to remarkably unfavourable weather conditions. The latter was confirmed as the main driver of PM's most critical concentrations, while strong limitations to anthropogenic activity-including traffic bans-have little effect when taken alone, even when applied for more than two months and involving a whole country.

Automated summary

The air quality of four Italian cities was analyzed during different periods of the COVID-19 pandemic. The first lockdown led to a significant decrease in NO2 concentrations due to reduced traffic, while the second lockdown saw an increase in PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations despite reduced traffic. Unfavorable weather conditions were identified as the main driver of high PM concentrations, indicating limited impact of anthropogenic activity restrictions.