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Lower air pollution during COVID-19 lock-down: improving models and methods estimating ozone impacts on crops.
- Source :
-
Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences [Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci] 2020 Oct 30; Vol. 378 (2183), pp. 20200188. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Sep 28. - Publication Year :
- 2020
-
Abstract
- We suggest that the unprecedented and unintended decrease of emissions of air pollutants during the COVID-19 lock-down in 2020 could lead to declining seasonal ozone concentrations and positive impacts on crop yields. An initial assessment of the potential effects of COVID-19 emission reductions was made using a set of six scenarios that variously assumed annual European and global emission reductions of 30% and 50% for the energy, industry, road transport and international shipping sectors, and 80% for the aviation sector. The greatest ozone reductions during the growing season reached up to 12 ppb over crop growing regions in Asia and up to 6 ppb in North America and Europe for the 50% global reduction scenario. In Europe, ozone responses are more sensitive to emission declines in other continents, international shipping and aviation than to emissions changes within Europe. We demonstrate that for wheat the overall magnitude of ozone precursor emission changes could lead to yield improvements between 2% and 8%. The expected magnitude of ozone precursor emission reductions during the Northern Hemisphere growing season in 2020 presents an opportunity to test and improve crop models and experimentally based exposure response relationships of ozone impacts on crops, under real-world conditions. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Air quality, past present and future'.
- Subjects :
- Air Pollutants analysis
Air Pollutants toxicity
Air Pollution prevention & control
Air Pollution statistics & numerical data
COVID-19
Environmental Monitoring
Europe
Humans
Models, Biological
Nitrogen Dioxide analysis
Nitrogen Dioxide toxicity
Ozone toxicity
Risk Assessment
SARS-CoV-2
Seasons
Air Pollution analysis
Betacoronavirus
Coronavirus Infections epidemiology
Crops, Agricultural drug effects
Crops, Agricultural growth & development
Ozone analysis
Pandemics
Pneumonia, Viral epidemiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1471-2962
- Volume :
- 378
- Issue :
- 2183
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Philosophical transactions. Series A, Mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 32981442
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2020.0188