Spatio-temporal variation of aerosol optical depth and black carbon mass concentration over five airports across Bangladesh: emphasis on effect of COVID-19 lockdown

Globally, the COVID-19 outbreak has had a devastating impact on both health and economy. In contrast, the reduction in anthropogenic emissions has resulted in a major improvement in air quality. In this study, US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) satellite datasets and related reanalysis model data were used with validation using ground-based data to evaluate the effects of aviation-based emissions on aerosol optical depth (AOD) and black carbon (BC). The contributions from five airports in Bangladesh were assessed during the pre-lockdown (01 Jan to 22 March), lockdown (23 March to 30 May), and post-lockdown (31 May to 30 Aug) periods in 2019 and 2020. The study’s findings show that during the 2020 lockdown, AOD and BC concentrations significantly decreased at all five airports. The overall decline of AOD was ~ 18.5% (13.1% to 22.8%) and BC was ~ 18.1% (16.6% to 22.2%) in 2020 compared to 2019. The three international airports that were examined—Dhaka, Chattagram, and Sylhet—showed an average reduction of about ~ 9.7%, while Jashore and Barisal—two domestic airports—saw a minor increase in AOD of ~ 0.8% over the same period. However, the average BC concentration at both international and domestic airports dropped by ~ 9.8% and ~ 10.2%, respectively. This is the first study to use reanalysis datasets in Bangladesh to evaluate air pollution levels and aviation-based emissions. The results highlight the significant impact of reduced aviation activity on air quality and provide valuable insights for future air pollution management strategies.

Graphical Abstract