A Review of the Effects of Anthropogenic Activities during the Pandemic Lockdown Period Timeline on Water Quality

Abstract

The pandemic has shown its effect on the world regarding health, economy, society, and environment. Whether it is a negative or positive impact, the period of this pandemic has a vast open platform for further studies. This review focused on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown on water quality. It is hypothesized that due to the reduced amount of anthropogenic activity due to the global lockdown, the water quality of water resources increased and rejuvenated. This review showed the study period, methods and parameters used by past researchers in this area. The research methods in this review have proven to be reliable in producing coherent results. The data presented showed a dependable indicator for the pollution and water quality standard whether it is based on the country’s standard or World Health Organization (WHO). The review focused on 23 articles from China, India, Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, and Turkey. Findings from this review showed that the trend between the lockdown period and water quality is not rigid and may be affected by how the area is managed throughout the period. Moreover, this review gives definite suggestions for future studies and highlights the need for actions taken by policymakers.