Air quality assessment during COVID-19: A case study of Serbia

The discovery of a new virus has forced many countries to introduce drastic measures at the beginning of the pandemic to protect human health. These measures include the reduced mobility of people and the reduction of certain economic activities. As a consequence, studies conducted in different countries have reported significant improvement in air quality. This paper aims to assess the impact of quarantine and lockdown measures on air quality in the city of Bor. Data regarding concentrations of PM10 and SO2 were collected using three monitoring stations located in the urban part of the city and compared with corresponding periods in 2019 and 2021. The results have shown that concentrations of these pollutants were even higher during the lockdown period. Concentrations of SO2 were 58 % higher compared to those in the corresponding period in 2019 and 56 % higher compared to those in 2021. The mean daily values of PM10 were 47 % higher compared to those in 2019 and 29 % higher compared to those in 2021