Title | Spatiotemporal analysis of black carbon sources: Case of Santiago, Chile, under SARS-CoV-2 lockdowns |
| Author | Héctor Jorquera, Carla Adasme, Ana María Villalobos |
| Line(s) | Acceso y movilidad |
| Year of Publication | 2022 |
| Journal Title | Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health |
| Keywords | Black carbon; aethalometer model; spatiotemporal patterns; fuzzy clustering; FUSTA |
| Abstract | Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has temporarily decreased black carbon emissions worldwide. The use of multi-wavelength aethalometers provides a quantitative apportionment of black carbon (BC) from fossil fuels (BCff) and wood-burning sources (BCwb). However, this apportionment is aggregated: local and non-local BC sources are lumped together in the aethalometer results. Methods: We propose a spatiotemporal analysis of BC results along with meteorological data, using a fuzzy clustering approach, to resolve local and non-local BC contributions. We apply this methodology to BC measurements taken at an urban site in Santiago, Chile, from March through December 2020, including lockdown periods of different intensities. Results: BCff accounts for 85% of total BC; there was up to an 80% reduction in total BC during the most restrictive lockdowns (April–June); the reduction was 40–50% in periods with less restrictive lockdowns. The new methodology can apportion BCff and BCwb into local and non-local contributions; local traffic (wood burning) sources account for 66% (86%) of BCff (BCwb). Conclusions: The intensive lockdowns brought down ambient BC across the city. The proposed fuzzy clustering methodology can resolve local and non-local contributions to BC in urban zones. |
| Doi | https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192417064 |
| Corresponding Author | Héctor Jorquera: jorquera@ing.puc.cl |
