Articles | Volume 23, issue 5
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3311-2023
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-23-3311-2023
Research article
 | 
16 Mar 2023
Research article |  | 16 Mar 2023

Global impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on surface concentration and health risk of atmospheric benzene

Chaohao Ling, Lulu Cui, and Rui Li

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Cited articles

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An ensemble machine-learning model coupled with chemical transport models (CTMs) was applied to assess the impact of COVID-19 on ambient benzene. The change ratio of the deweathered benzene concentration from the pre-lockdown to lockdown period was in the order of India (−23.6 %) > Europe (−21.9 %) > the United States (−16.2 %) > China (−15.6 %), which might be associated with local serious benzene pollution and substantial emission reduction in the industrial and transportation sectors.
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