Evaluation of air pollutants (PM10 and SO2) in the first year of the COVID-19: A city sample from Turkey

The aim of this study is to evaluate the change of air pollutants in the province of Van compared to the previous year during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study is a cross-sectional study conducted in Van where is a city in eastern Turkey. PM10 and SO2 values obtained from the National Air Quality Monitoring Network website. The lockdowns imposed in the province of Van within the scope of combating COVID-19 have been recorded by examining the decisions of the Sanitary Board on the Van Governorship's official website. The mean of PM10 measurement values in the period before and after COVID-19 were 40.89±19.6 µg/m3 and 41.3±20.39 µg/m3, respectively. The mean of SO2 measurement values were 17.76±18.48 µg/m3 and 23.49±20.96 µg/m3 before and after COVID-19, respectively. When one year after and before COVID-19 was evaluated, there was no difference in PM10 values in terms of year averages, while SO2 value was found to be increased compared to the previous year. However, when analyzed by months, there were months when PM10 values were found to be increased (March, September and October) and decreased (July, August and November) compared to the previous year.