The COVID-19 lockdown induced changes of SO2 pollution in its Human-made global hotspots

• Published in: Global transitions 2024, Vol.6, p.152-163
• Main Authors: S, Amritha, VK, Patel, J, Kuttippurath, Hamza, Varikoden
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Air pollution; Coal usage; COVID-19; Global; Natural anthropause; Sulphur dioxide
• ISSN: 2589-7918; 2589-7918
• DOI: 10.1016/j.glt.2024.06.003

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) is a hazardous air pollutant, which is mostly emitted from burning of fossil fuels, and has an adverse impact on the human health and ecosystem functioning. The COVID-19 natural anthropause (lockdown) provides a great opportunity to understand the changes in SO2 pollution across the globe, as there was a temporary standstill for most human activities. Therefore, we analyse the changes in global SO₂ pollution during lockdown compared to pre-lockdown and identify its hotspots driven by human activities using satellite measurements, reanalysis data and emission inventory. We observe a decline in SO₂ pollution of about 2.21 % in its global average, −21.05 % in Indo-Gangatic Plain, −16 % in East China, −7.67 % in East United States of America, −3.99 % in Western Europe and −3.85 % in Middle East owing to the halt in human activities such as industrial and transport operations, as found from the emissions inventory. There are point and aerial hotspots of SO₂ pollution across the globe (e.g. cities or industrial units), which also show a decrease (20–30 %) in SO₂ pollution during the anthropause. Fossil fuel burning in thermal power plants is a major source of SO2 pollution, and it has declined notably (1–12 %) during the lockdown in the major coal consuming countries such as the United States, China, Japan, Canada, Brazil, Australia, France, Germany, Spain, Italy and the United Kingdom. Therefore, lockdown provides a clear understanding of global human-driven hotspots of SO₂ pollution and their changes, which would help us to make better and effective air pollution mitigation strategies. •Lockdown helps to understand regions with natural and human made SO₂ pollution.•Notable decline in SO2 pollution in East China, IGP, Western Europe and Eastern USA.•Decline in coal usage in the USA, Europe and China during lockdown decreases SO2 there.•SO2 pollution increases again after the lockdown in most human-induced hotspots.