In some red areas (around the city of Lodi) the restrictions have been imposed earlier than in the rest of the region. In order to study only the exponential tract of the epidemiological curve, no data after the 18 th March 2020 were considered ( Fig. Following the further increase in the number of infections, the restrictions were made even more severe starting from March 11 th, 2020 ( DPCM, 2020c). In the 8 th March, 2020 several restrictions were imposed in part of Northern Italy and in 9 th March, 2020 they were extended at the rest of the Country ( DPCM, 2020a, 2020b). Therefore, while epidemiological data were considered from the day on which the first person infected in each province was identified, the air quality period was chosen in such a way that it was anticipated by 15 d. Several studies determined that the incubation time could be up to 10 - 15 d ( Backer et al., 2020 Lai et al., 2020 Li et al., 2020). The choice of the periods determined to select the epidemiological and the air quality data has been made considering the average incubation time of the SARS-CoV-2 in order to evaluate the actual period, during which contagion among people might occur. In order to compare air quality data with epidemiological data, a statistical analysis was conducted. Data on particulate matter (PM 10 and PM 2.5) were analysed and, considering an incubation time of 10 - 15 d, were compared with the CoViD-19 rapidity of spread, evaluated using the doubling time (T d), in 41 cities of Northern Italy. This study aims to explore the relationship between ambient air pollutants PM 10 and PM 2.5 and the rapidity of the spread of the infection caused by CoViD-19 in Northern Italy, where air pollutants concentration is higher than in the rest of Italy. PM 2.5, PM 10, SO 2, CO, NO 2, and O 3) in the air and the proliferation and aggressiveness of the novel coronavirus infection ( Coccia, 2020 Liu et al., 2020 Yari and Moshammer, 2020 Zhu et al., 2020). Many studies have been carried out on the association between the concentration of different air pollutants (i.e. As reported in these studies, PM may represent a substrate that allows the virus to remain in the air in a contagious form for hours or days, promoting its diffusion (Sanità di Toppi et al., 2020 SIMA, 2020). Several other authors supposed that PM could acts as a support for novel SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), allowing the spread and the transport even for significant distances. The Italian Society of Environmental Medicine (SIMA) ( SIMA, 2020) supposed for the first time a possible correlation between the great diffusion of CoViD-19 in Northern Italy and the high concentrations of PM 10 and PM 2.5 considering the atmospheric particulate matter as a vector that could transport SARS-CoV-2 ( Setti et al., 2020b, 2020a). Several studies confirmed a strong correlation between air particulate pollution and the increase of respiratory diseases ( Cruz-Sanchez et al., 2013 Horne et al., 2018 Xu et al., 2016 Zhou et al., 2015). Based on its size, PM can be classified into three categories: coarse (2.5–10μm), fine (<2.5μm), and ultrafine (<0.1μm) ( Ciencewicki and Jaspers, 2007). PM is a mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air. Moreover, together with Poland and Bulgaria, Northern Italy has the worst air quality in Europe in terms of PM ( EEA, 2019, 2018, 2017). Northern Italy, which has been the most affected area by coronavirus disease (CoViD-19) ( INCP, 2020), is also the portion of the Country with the highest amount of atmospheric particulate matter (PM) often exceeding the legislative limit. Further developments are necessary for a better comprehension of the influence of atmospheric pollution parameters on the rapidity of spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2, since a synergistic action with other factors, such as meteorological factors, could not be excluded. The results exclude a strong direct correlation between PM in the air and the diffusion rate of CoViD-19. In order to compare air quality data with epidemiological data (T d), a statistical analysis was conducted identifying the correlation matrices of Pearson and Spearman, considering the possible incubation period of the disease. PM 10 and PM 2.5 data for all the 41 studied cities were collected from the local environmental protection agencies. The aim of the research is analysing possible correlations between air pollutants PM 10 and PM 2.5 and the rapidity of the spread of the infection caused by CoViD-19 in Northern Italy. Northern Italian regions have been the most affected from CoViD-19 compared to other Italian areas and are also the zones where air pollutants concentration has been higher than in the rest of Italy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |