SHORT COMMUNICATION
COVID-19 Lockdowns in Industrial Areas
and Outdoor Climatology Indices
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1
Department of Environmental Sciences, The University of Lahore, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
2
Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Centre for Research in Molecular Medicine,
The University of Lahore, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
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Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
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Department of Chemistry, College of Science, Taif University, P.O. Box 11099, Taif 21944, Saudi Arabia
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Department of Physical Sport Science, College of Education, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University,
P.O. Box 84428, Riyadh 11671, Saudi Arabia
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Department of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Lahore, Lahore 53700, Pakistan
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Department of Chemistry, Division of Science and Technology, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
Submission date: 2022-06-10
Final revision date: 2022-07-28
Acceptance date: 2022-08-17
Online publication date: 2022-11-21
Publication date: 2022-12-21
Corresponding author
Arif Nazir
Department of Chemistry, The University of Lahore, Lahore, 1-KM Defence Road, Lahore, 53700, Lahore, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2023;32(1):485-489
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ABSTRACT
The study focuses on the ambient air pollutants levels before and during the COVID-19 pandemic
in two major industrial estates. The data was collected from different Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) certified laboratories. The results revealed that before the COVID-19 pandemic or
lockdown the levels of ambient air pollutants were above the Punjab Environment Quality Standards
(PEQs) limit, during lockdown conditions these were within PEQs limits. The change was gradual due
to a decline in emissions coming from different sources like vehicles and industries during the period
of COVID-19 and limited human movement within the study area. The Sunder Industrial Estate (SIE)
was less polluted as compared to Quaid e Azam Industrial Estate (QIE), but in the case of different
pollutants, some pollutants in SIE were high compared with QIE. It was observed that the ambient air
pollutants meditations will reduce regularly and keep declining to the least limit during the COVID-19
induced lockdowns. In crux, the quality of ambient air in the study area improved notably during
the lockdown registering reduced concentrations of NOx, SO2, SPM, CO, and PM emissions, resulting
in health benefits for the population.