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Tracing air pollution changes (CO, NO2, SO2, and HCHO) using GEE and Sentinel 5P images in Ahvaz, Iran

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Abstract

The first case of COVID-19 in Iran was reported on February 25, 2020, leading in the implementation of a government-mandated lockdown as the virus gradually spread to different cities. The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality in Ahvaz city by utilizing Sentinel 5 images and the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. Specifically, the concentrations of air pollutants, including CO, NO2, SO2, and HCHO, during the COVID-19 pandemic from May 10 to June 01, 2021, were examined. Also, they were compared to the same period in 2019. Additionally, the influence of meteorological parameters, such as wind speed and precipitation, on pollutant concentrations during the pandemic and in the pre-pandemic year of 2019 were investigated. The results revealed a significant decrease in the concentrations of NO2 (13.7%), CO (6.1%), SO2 (28%), and HCHO (9.5%) in Ahvaz during the study period in 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. Statistical analyses indicated no significant changes in wind speed and precipitation between the COVID-19 pandemic and the pre-pandemic period in 2019. Therefore, the impact of these parameters on the observed changes in pollutant concentrations can be disregarded. It is clear that the COVID-19 epidemic and the subsequent lockdown measures, including traffic restrictions and business closures, played a crucial role in significantly reducing air pollutant concentrations in Ahvaz.

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Data are available when requested.

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Land use/land cover ESRI updated in 25.06.2021 (https://code.earthengine.google.com/9a2fe37d0dc4b321926f0ce30fb8abe4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Masjed-Soleiman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Masjed-Soleiman, Iran

    Fatemeh Amiri

  2. Department of GIS-RS and Watershed Management, Meybod Branch, Islamic Azad University, Meybod, Yazd, Iran

    Ali Akbar Jamali

  3. Department of Remote Sensing, Dezful Branch, Islamic Azad University, Dezful, Iran

    Ladan Khedri Gharibvand

Authors
  1. Fatemeh Amiri
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  2. Ali Akbar Jamali
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  3. Ladan Khedri Gharibvand
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study's conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by F. Amiria, A.A. Jamali, and L. Khedri Gharibvand. The first draft of the manuscript was written by F. Amiria, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. F. Amiria and A.A. Jamali prepared figures. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ali Akbar Jamali.

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Amiri, F., Jamali, A.A. & Gharibvand, L.K. Tracing air pollution changes (CO, NO2, SO2, and HCHO) using GEE and Sentinel 5P images in Ahvaz, Iran. Environ Monit Assess 195, 1259 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11885-4

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