Variation and correlation between ultraviolet index and tropospheric ozone during COVID-19 lockdown over megacities of India

Biswajit Bera; Sumana Bhattacharjee; Pravat Kumar Shit; Nairita Sengupta; Soumik Saha

doi:10.1007/s00477-021-02033-w

Variation and correlation between ultraviolet index and tropospheric ozone during COVID-19 lockdown over megacities of India

Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess. 2022;36(2):409-427. doi: 10.1007/s00477-021-02033-w. Epub 2021 May 29.

Authors

Biswajit Bera¹, Sumana Bhattacharjee², Pravat Kumar Shit³, Nairita Sengupta⁴, Soumik Saha²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Geography, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Sainik School, Ranchi Road, P.O., Purulia, 723104 India.
² Department of Geography, University of Calcutta, 35, Ballygunge Circular Road, Ballygunge, Kolkata, 700019 India.
³ Department of Geography and Environment Management, Raja Narendralal Khan Women's College, Gope Palace, P.O. Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipur, 721102 India.
⁴ Department of Geography, Diamond Harbour Women's University, Sarisha, 743368 India.

Abstract

Worldwide spread out of COVID-19 in a short-time has brought a significant decline of road traffic, tourist flow and industrial ventures. During this emergency period, the restricted human dealings with nature have appeared as blessing for health of the total environment. The variation of atmospheric O₃ may modulate the range of UV index (UVI) at any region of the earth. The objective of the study is to examine the variation of UV index over the megacities of India with respect to tropospheric O₃ level modification during COVID-19 lockdown. The meteorological or environmental data (temperature in °C, gust in km/h, wind speed km/h, relative humidity in %, air pressure in mb and cloud cover in okta) of four selective megacities of India (Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai) during and pre lockdown period have been obtained to comprehend about the variation of UV index and tropospheric O₃. The descriptive statistical applications i.e. standard deviation, standard errors and K-means clustering have been done through standard statistical software. In the present study, t-test has been used to understand level of significance of surface O₃ and UVI during pre-lockdown (2019) and lockdown (2020) phase. The result shows that the four major megacities in India namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai have experienced the vibrant diminution in terms of the concentration of UV index with slightly increasing the tropospheric O₃ level during the lockdown phase. The higher accumulation of O₃ during the lockdown in the lower atmosphere of four megacities does not exceed the permissible limit. The excess amount of O₃ has remarkably contributed to trap the harmful UV radiation which has lowered the UVI in these worst polluted megacities of India. In the meantime, the prominent reduction of NO_x during the lockdown period decreases the titration impact to O₃ and this mechanism helps to revitalize the ozone concentration level. The uniqueness of the current study is highlighted the ground reality regarding reduction of UV index and amplification of tropospheric O₃ concentration during lockdown phase. This study definitely assists to make new environmental policy, act and law for recover the health of the total environment.

Keywords: COVID-19; Concentration of O3; Lockdown phase; UV index.