Air Quality and Related Health Effects in Urban Areas of Iran During COVID-19 Pandemic Using AirQ + Tool

The study investigated the impact of sudden frozen economy during the COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution and related health effects. The concentrations of PM ₁₀ , PM _2.5 , SO ₂ , O ₃ , NO ₂ , and CO for Air Quality Index (AQI) calculations were obtained from the Iranian Air Pollution Monitoring System in 7 provinces of central Iran between 2018 and 2021. AirQ ⁺ software was employed to estimate health risk of respiratory mortality due to O ₃ exposure. AQI values decreased significantly during the lockdown (39.42%) and increased after (19.09%). Comparing to 2018–2019, air pollution in 2021 decreased by: PM _2.5 4.73%, PM ₁₀ 0.5%, SO ₂ 50.4%, NO ₂ 21.16%, and CO 10.84%. However, O ₃ concentrations increased during lockdown by 8.2%. Mortality due to O ₃ exposure increased during the lockdown comparing with the baseline in 2018–2019, except for Tehran province. Death rates due to long-term exposure to ambient O ₃ in investigated Iranian urban areas also increased. The use of air quality and emission standards is crucial towards the reduction of adverse health impacts associated with ambient air pollution.