Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution
Lockdown measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 in France in spring 2020 sharply reduced activities and lowered air-pollution concentrations. This study sought to determine the short- and long-term impacts on mortality in metropolitan France resulting from the temporary decrease in the population&...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2021-06-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Sustainable Cities |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.643821/full |
id |
doaj-253775ef974a49dc90321a1510c91626 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-253775ef974a49dc90321a1510c916262021-06-10T08:40:52ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sustainable Cities2624-96342021-06-01310.3389/frsc.2021.643821643821Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air PollutionLucie Adélaïde0Sylvia Medina1Vérène Wagner2Perrine de Crouy-Chanel3Elsa Real4Augustin Colette5Florian Couvidat6Bertrand Bessagnet7Maxime Alter8Amélie Durou9Sabine Host10Marion Hulin11Magali Corso12Mathilde Pascal13Santé Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceIneris, French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, Parc Technologique ALATA, Verneuil-en-Halatte, FranceIneris, French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, Parc Technologique ALATA, Verneuil-en-Halatte, FranceIneris, French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks, Parc Technologique ALATA, Verneuil-en-Halatte, FranceCitepa, Technical Reference Center for Air Pollution and Climate Change, Paris, FranceATMO Grand Est, Certified Associations of Air Quality Monitoring, Schiltigheim, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceORS Île-de-France, Regional Health Observatory Île-de-France, Paris, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceSanté Publique France, French Public Health Agency, Saint-Maurice, FranceLockdown measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 in France in spring 2020 sharply reduced activities and lowered air-pollution concentrations. This study sought to determine the short- and long-term impacts on mortality in metropolitan France resulting from the temporary decrease in the population's exposure to air pollution. The reduction in exposure to air pollution was estimated by calculating the difference between modeled exposure of the population during the strict lockdown and the gradual lifting, and the simulated exposure that would have been observed in the absence of lockdown. A quantitative health impact assessment was used to estimate both the short-term impact of PM10 and NO2 reductions, and the long-term impact of PM2.5 and NO2 reductions on mortality. Reduced activities during the lockdown lowered NO2 and PM concentrations, resulting in about 2,300 deaths postponed for PM2.5 and nearly 1,200 for NO2, mainly due to avoided long-term effects. This study shows that, even in an unprecedented context that is certainly neither realistic nor desirable to improve air quality in the long run, public interventions appear to have a significant impact on health through reductions in air-pollution levels. In a long-term perspective, the study also reminds us that the total burden of air pollution on health remains a significant risk factor in France. Efforts to reduce ambient air pollution must thus be pursued sustainably for all sources of air pollution with suitably adapted but ambitious policies. Finally, the lockdown restrictions had other consequences, both positive and negative, on the population's health. These consequences highlight the need to conduct more integrated assessments of health impacts that include the multisectoral consequences of interventions, particularly in terms of population compliance with mitigating restrictions, behavior and mental health and, more broadly, climate change.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.643821/fullhealth impact assessmentair pollutionmortalitylockdownCOVID-19France |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lucie Adélaïde Sylvia Medina Vérène Wagner Perrine de Crouy-Chanel Elsa Real Augustin Colette Florian Couvidat Bertrand Bessagnet Maxime Alter Amélie Durou Sabine Host Marion Hulin Magali Corso Mathilde Pascal |
spellingShingle |
Lucie Adélaïde Sylvia Medina Vérène Wagner Perrine de Crouy-Chanel Elsa Real Augustin Colette Florian Couvidat Bertrand Bessagnet Maxime Alter Amélie Durou Sabine Host Marion Hulin Magali Corso Mathilde Pascal Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution Frontiers in Sustainable Cities health impact assessment air pollution mortality lockdown COVID-19 France |
author_facet |
Lucie Adélaïde Sylvia Medina Vérène Wagner Perrine de Crouy-Chanel Elsa Real Augustin Colette Florian Couvidat Bertrand Bessagnet Maxime Alter Amélie Durou Sabine Host Marion Hulin Magali Corso Mathilde Pascal |
author_sort |
Lucie Adélaïde |
title |
Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution |
title_short |
Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution |
title_full |
Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution |
title_fullStr |
Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution |
title_full_unstemmed |
Covid-19 Lockdown in Spring 2020 in France Provided Unexpected Opportunity to Assess Health Impacts of Falls in Air Pollution |
title_sort |
covid-19 lockdown in spring 2020 in france provided unexpected opportunity to assess health impacts of falls in air pollution |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Sustainable Cities |
issn |
2624-9634 |
publishDate |
2021-06-01 |
description |
Lockdown measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 in France in spring 2020 sharply reduced activities and lowered air-pollution concentrations. This study sought to determine the short- and long-term impacts on mortality in metropolitan France resulting from the temporary decrease in the population's exposure to air pollution. The reduction in exposure to air pollution was estimated by calculating the difference between modeled exposure of the population during the strict lockdown and the gradual lifting, and the simulated exposure that would have been observed in the absence of lockdown. A quantitative health impact assessment was used to estimate both the short-term impact of PM10 and NO2 reductions, and the long-term impact of PM2.5 and NO2 reductions on mortality. Reduced activities during the lockdown lowered NO2 and PM concentrations, resulting in about 2,300 deaths postponed for PM2.5 and nearly 1,200 for NO2, mainly due to avoided long-term effects. This study shows that, even in an unprecedented context that is certainly neither realistic nor desirable to improve air quality in the long run, public interventions appear to have a significant impact on health through reductions in air-pollution levels. In a long-term perspective, the study also reminds us that the total burden of air pollution on health remains a significant risk factor in France. Efforts to reduce ambient air pollution must thus be pursued sustainably for all sources of air pollution with suitably adapted but ambitious policies. Finally, the lockdown restrictions had other consequences, both positive and negative, on the population's health. These consequences highlight the need to conduct more integrated assessments of health impacts that include the multisectoral consequences of interventions, particularly in terms of population compliance with mitigating restrictions, behavior and mental health and, more broadly, climate change. |
topic |
health impact assessment air pollution mortality lockdown COVID-19 France |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frsc.2021.643821/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT lucieadelaide covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT sylviamedina covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT verenewagner covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT perrinedecrouychanel covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT elsareal covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT augustincolette covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT floriancouvidat covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT bertrandbessagnet covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT maximealter covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT ameliedurou covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT sabinehost covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT marionhulin covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT magalicorso covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution AT mathildepascal covid19lockdowninspring2020infranceprovidedunexpectedopportunitytoassesshealthimpactsoffallsinairpollution |
_version_ |
1721385225979691008 |