IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v14y2022i22p15038-d972044.html

Air Quality and Environmental Effects Due to COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran: Lessons for Sustainability

Author

Listed:
  • Simona Tondelli

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy)

  • Ebrahim Farhadi

    (Department of Architecture, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417935840, Iran)

  • Bahareh Akbari Monfared

    (Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran 1417935840, Iran)

  • Mehdi Ataeian

    (Department of Civil, Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering, University of Bologna, 40136 Bologna, Italy
    Department of Soil Mechanics, Foundation Engineering and Environmental Geotechnics, Ruhr University Bochum, 44801 Bochum, Germany)

  • Hossein Tahmasebi Moghaddam

    (Faculty of Geography, University of Zanjan, Zanjan 4537138791, Iran)

  • Marco Dettori

    (Department of Medicine, Surgery, and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy)

  • Lucia Saganeiti

    (Department of Civil, Building-Architecture and Environmental Engineering, University of L’Aquila, Via G. Gronchi, 18, 67100 L’Aquila, Italy)

  • Beniamino Murgante

    (School of Engineering, University of Basilicata, 10 Viale dell’Ateneo Lucano, 85100 Potenza, Italy)

Abstract

The 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) global pandemic spread can be considered a disastrous crisis that, in a given geographical area, significantly affects the increase in mortality rate with direct and indirect impacts on different scales and social, economic, political, and ecological factors. The effects of this crisis can be more intense in urban areas with high population density. Due to the more significant presence of vulnerable groups, the risk of death increases significantly. This research describes the environmental impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city of Tehran, the 37th most populated city in the world. The concentration of six air pollutants (carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O 3 ), nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ), particulate matter with a diameter of 10 microns (PM 10 ), sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ), particulate matter with a diameter of fewer than 2.5 microns (PM 2.5 ) and the Air Quality Index (AQI) were measured in 22 urban regions of Tehran before (20 March) and from (21 March to 10 February) the lockdown, in air pollution evaluation stations. In order to conduct this research, first, the values of the air pollutant indices of the 22 districts of Tehran in the two previous periods (before 20 March) and during quarantine (21 March to 10 February) were obtained from the air pollution measurement stations of the 22 districts of Tehran, together with the results. After the operationalization and quantification of the indicators according to the research objectives, they were entered into the ArcGIS environment, and the spatial analysis of each pollutant was performed, before and during the quarantine. Finally, it was found that the AQI was reduced from 74.95 to 54.15.

Suggested Citation

  • Simona Tondelli & Ebrahim Farhadi & Bahareh Akbari Monfared & Mehdi Ataeian & Hossein Tahmasebi Moghaddam & Marco Dettori & Lucia Saganeiti & Beniamino Murgante, 2022. "Air Quality and Environmental Effects Due to COVID-19 in Tehran, Iran: Lessons for Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(22), pages 1-28, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:22:p:15038-:d:972044
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/22/15038/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/22/15038/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ebrahim Farhadi & Ahmad Pourahmad & Keramatollah Ziari & Hassanali Faraji Sabokbar & Simona Tondelli, 2022. "Indicators Affecting the Urban Resilience with a Scenario Approach in Tehran Metropolis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-15, October.
    2. Yun Qiu & Xi Chen & Wei Shi, 2020. "Impacts of social and economic factors on the transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in China," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 33(4), pages 1127-1172, October.
    3. Peng Zhou & Xing-Lou Yang & Xian-Guang Wang & Ben Hu & Lei Zhang & Wei Zhang & Hao-Rui Si & Yan Zhu & Bei Li & Chao-Lin Huang & Hui-Dong Chen & Jing Chen & Yun Luo & Hua Guo & Ren-Di Jiang & Mei-Qin L, 2020. "Addendum: A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7836), pages 6-6, December.
    4. Amin Safdari Molan & Ebrahim Farhadi & Lucia Saganeiti & Beniamino Murgante, 2021. "Border Tourism Development Strategies in Kaleybar Compared to Regional Rivals," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(20), pages 1-21, October.
    5. Xinghan Xu & Weijie Ren, 2019. "Application of a Hybrid Model Based on Echo State Network and Improved Particle Swarm Optimization in PM 2.5 Concentration Forecasting: A Case Study of Beijing, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(11), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Giovanna Deiana & Antonio Azara & Marco Dettori & Fiorenzo Delogu & Gavino Vargiu & Isabella Gessa & Filippo Stroscio & Marcello Tidore & Giorgio Steri & Paolo Castiglia, 2020. "Deaths in SARS-Cov-2 Positive Patients in Italy: The Influence of Underlying Health Conditions on Lethality," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(12), pages 1-10, June.
    7. Peng Zhou & Xing-Lou Yang & Xian-Guang Wang & Ben Hu & Lei Zhang & Wei Zhang & Hao-Rui Si & Yan Zhu & Bei Li & Chao-Lin Huang & Hui-Dong Chen & Jing Chen & Yun Luo & Hua Guo & Ren-Di Jiang & Mei-Qin L, 2020. "A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin," Nature, Nature, vol. 579(7798), pages 270-273, March.
    8. Maria Barreiro-Gen & Rodrigo Lozano & Afnan Zafar, 2020. "Changes in Sustainability Priorities in Organisations due to the COVID-19 Outbreak: Averting Environmental Rebound Effects on Society," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-13, June.
    9. Guojun He & Yuhang Pan & Takanao Tanaka, 2020. "The short-term impacts of COVID-19 lockdown on urban air pollution in China," Nature Sustainability, Nature, vol. 3(12), pages 1005-1011, December.
    10. Binju P Raj & Chandan Swaroop Meena & Nehul Agarwal & Lohit Saini & Shabir Hussain Khahro & Umashankar Subramaniam & Aritra Ghosh, 2021. "A Review on Numerical Approach to Achieve Building Energy Efficiency for Energy, Economy and Environment (3E) Benefit," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-26, July.
    11. Beniamino Murgante & Giuseppe Borruso & Ginevra Balletto & Paolo Castiglia & Marco Dettori, 2020. "Why Italy First? Health, Geographical and Planning Aspects of the COVID-19 Outbreak," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-44, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mir Aftab Hussain Talpur & Shabir Hussain Khahro & Muhammad Saad Khan & Fahad Ahmed Shaikh & Yasir Javed, 2024. "Aftermaths of COVID-19 Lockdown on Socioeconomic and Psychological Nexus of Urban Population: A Case in Hyderabad, Pakistan," Societies, MDPI, vol. 14(8), pages 1-25, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Shou, Ming-Huan & Wang, Zheng-Xin & Lou, Wen-Qian, 2021. "Effect evaluation of non-pharmaceutical interventions taken in China to contain the COVID-19 epidemic based on the susceptible-exposed-infected-recovered model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 171(C).
    2. Mia Madel Alfajaro & Emma L. Keeler & Ning Li & Nicholas J. Catanzaro & I-Ting Teng & Zhe Zhao & Michael W. Grunst & Boyd Yount & Alexandra Schäfer & Danyi Wang & Arthur S. Kim & Aleksandra Synowiec &, 2025. "HKU5 bat merbecoviruses engage bat and mink ACE2 as entry receptors," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-16, December.
    3. Jun-Yu Si & Yuan-Mei Chen & Ye-Hui Sun & Meng-Xue Gu & Mei-Ling Huang & Lu-Lu Shi & Xiao Yu & Xiao Yang & Qing Xiong & Cheng-Bao Ma & Peng Liu & Zheng-Li Shi & Huan Yan, 2024. "Sarbecovirus RBD indels and specific residues dictating multi-species ACE2 adaptiveness," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. repec:osf:osfxxx:6y95m_v1 is not listed on IDEAS
    5. Shahadat Uddin & Arif Khan & Haohui Lu & Fangyu Zhou & Shakir Karim, 2022. "Suburban Road Networks to Explore COVID-19 Vulnerability and Severity," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-9, February.
    6. Kirsten R.C. Hensgens & Inge H.T. van Rensen & Anita W. Lekx & Frits H.M. van Osch & Lieve H.H. Knarren & Caroline E. Wyers & Joop P. van den Bergh & Dennis G. Barten, 2021. "Sort and Sieve: Pre-Triage Screening of Patients with Suspected COVID-19 in the Emergency Department," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(17), pages 1-11, September.
    7. Alessandro Geremia & Arturo Montineri & Alessandra Sorce & Anastasia Xourafa & Enrico Buccheri & Antonino Catalano & Pietro Castellino & Agostino Gaudio & D.O.CoV Research, 2025. "Performance of Risk Scores in SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Retrospective Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(8), pages 1-14, July.
    8. Quan-Hoang Vuong & Tam-Tri Le & Viet-Phuong La & Huyen Thanh Thanh Nguyen & Manh-Toan Ho & Quy Khuc & Minh-Hoang Nguyen, 2022. "Covid-19 vaccines production and societal immunization under the serendipity-mindsponge-3D knowledge management theory and conceptual framework," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 9(1), pages 1-12, December.
    9. Hengrui Liu & Sho Iketani & Arie Zask & Nisha Khanizeman & Eva Bednarova & Farhad Forouhar & Brandon Fowler & Seo Jung Hong & Hiroshi Mohri & Manoj S. Nair & Yaoxing Huang & Nicholas E. S. Tay & Sumin, 2022. "Development of optimized drug-like small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease for treatment of COVID-19," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    10. Nkiruka Nnoyelum Oduukwe & Oliver Ezechi & Gregory Ohihoin & Ngozi Mirabel Otuonye & Mercy Mayowa Ojetunde & Iwalokun Bamidele & Joy Boluwatife Ayoola & Babatunde Lawal Salako & Adeola Oladunni Adebay, 2022. "ABO Blood Group Profile Frequencies and Relationship in COVID-19 Disease Susceptibility and Severity in Lagos, Nigeria," Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, Biomedical Research Network+, LLC, vol. 41(4), pages 32942-32948, February.
    11. Graziella Orrù & Ciro Conversano & Eleonora Malloggi & Francesca Francesconi & Rebecca Ciacchini & Angelo Gemignani, 2020. "Neurological Complications of COVID-19 and Possible Neuroinvasion Pathways: A Systematic Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(18), pages 1-18, September.
    12. Gleidson Sobreira Leite & Adriano Bessa Albuquerque & Plácido Rogerio Pinheiro, 2021. "Applications of Technological Solutions in Primary Ways of Preventing Transmission of Respiratory Infectious Diseases—A Systematic Literature Review," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(20), pages 1-50, October.
    13. Britton Boras & Rhys M. Jones & Brandon J. Anson & Dan Arenson & Lisa Aschenbrenner & Malina A. Bakowski & Nathan Beutler & Joseph Binder & Emily Chen & Heather Eng & Holly Hammond & Jennifer Hammond , 2021. "Preclinical characterization of an intravenous coronavirus 3CL protease inhibitor for the potential treatment of COVID19," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-17, December.
    14. Susanne Kessler & Bradly Burke & Geoffroy Andrieux & Jan Schinköthe & Lea Hamberger & Johannes Kacza & Shijun Zhan & Clara Reasoner & Taru S. Dutt & Maria Kaukab Osman & Marcela Henao-Tamayo & Julian , 2024. "Deciphering bat influenza H18N11 infection dynamics in male Jamaican fruit bats on a single-cell level," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Rashmi Saxena Pal & Yogendra Pal & Nikita Saraswat & Pranay Wal & Ankita Wal, 2021. "Corona Virus: Commonly Followed Treatment Regimen, an Updated Follow-Up on Trending Perspectives," Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, Biomedical Research Network+, LLC, vol. 34(4), pages 27040-27044, March.
    16. Yongzhu Xiong & Yunpeng Wang & Feng Chen & Mingyong Zhu, 2020. "Spatial Statistics and Influencing Factors of the COVID-19 Epidemic at Both Prefecture and County Levels in Hubei Province, China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(11), pages 1-26, May.
    17. Eugene Song & Jae-Eun Lee & Seola Kwon, 2021. "Effect of Public Empathy with Infection-Control Guidelines on Infection-Prevention Attitudes and Behaviors: Based on the Case of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-18, December.
    18. Fabiana Fiasca & Mauro Minelli & Dominga Maio & Martina Minelli & Ilaria Vergallo & Stefano Necozione & Antonella Mattei, 2020. "Associations between COVID-19 Incidence Rates and the Exposure to PM2.5 and NO 2 : A Nationwide Observational Study in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-10, December.
    19. Juliana Teixeira Dutra & Moisés Palaci & Fabrício Antônio Ferreira Martins & Juliana Meireles da Silva & Alexandre Rodrigues, 2025. "Simple RNA Extraction and Viral Inactivation Methods for Detecting SARS-CoV-2 in Nasopharyngeal Swabs from Clinically Suspected COVID-19 Patients," Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research, Biomedical Research Network+, LLC, vol. 60(3), pages 52515-52537, November.
    20. Małgorzata Dudzińska & Marta Gwiaździńska-Goraj & Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle, 2022. "Social Factors as Major Determinants of Rural Development Variation for Predicting Epidemic Vulnerability: A Lesson for the Future," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-24, October.
    21. James, Nick & Menzies, Max, 2023. "Collective infectivity of the pandemic over time and association with vaccine coverage and economic development," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 176(C).

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:22:p:15038-:d:972044. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.