International Journal of Research in Engineering and Science (IJRES)

ISSN (Online): 2320-9364, ISSN (Print): 2320-9356

www.ijres.org Volume 9 Issue 5 ǁ 2021 ǁ PP. 39-43

Effects of Covid19 Pandemic on Environment

MeghnaDhankhar, SucharitaSanyal,Shubh Agarwal, Saksham Makin,
Dr. Amit Pawar, Dr.rer. nat. Sameer Agarwal*
Environment Health and Malnutrition Research Foundation, South Bopal, Ahmedabad – 380 058, India.

ABSTRACT:Coronavirus disease 19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus has gripped more than 200
countries of the world infecting more than 100 million people. The worldwide disruption caused by the COVID-
19 pandemic has resulted in numerous impacts on the environment of the whole world. The Covid-19
coronavirus pandemic has resulted in global lockdowns, sharply curtailing economic activity. It is a unique
experiment with substantial impacts that will form the agenda for research. This review attempts to describe the
short term and the long-term effects of coronavirus pandemic on the environment. COVID 19 has not only
brought new challenges for us but also exposed the lacuna in the existing systems, thus, opening up a window
for change. Furthermore, the positive changes in the environment during lockdown proves that we all have a
role to play in maintaining a better environment. This pandemic has emphasised the strong connections between
nature, population and climate change, which calls for restructuring current systems in order to reduce the risk
of future crisis and environmental decline. Therefore, it is high time for the world to check the impact of our
current practices and device innovative solutions towards a greener future, thus strengthening the symbiotic
relationship between nature and mankind.
KEYWORDS:Environment; Coronavirus; Covid19; Covid19 Pandemic; Waste management; Population;
Climate.
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Date of Submission: 05-05-2021 Date of acceptance: 18-05-2021
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I. INTRODUCTION:
Coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), a pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus has gripped more than
200 countries of the world infecting more than 100 million people and causing death of over 3,000,000
worldwide. While most of the infected people regain immune function from initial insult by the virus with mild
symptoms, the patients with comorbid complications have developed severe clinical conditions with sustained
levels of viral load and resulting in death. The fatality rate associated with COVID19 is between 2 – 10% in
different regions, approximately 10 times more lethal than seasonal flu.
The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China, in the end of 2019. Since then, it has rapidly spread
across the world and endangered livelihoods, communities and the environment. The impact has rippled across
the socioeconomic order of the current century, and the effects are expected to be felt even after the virus has
been conquered. The worldwide disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in numerous
impacts on the environment of the whole world. The Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic has resulted in global
lockdowns, sharply curtailing economic activity. It is a unique experiment with substantial impacts that will
form the agenda for research.
To conquer the coronavirus, several strategies have been adopted across countries, the most notable
being the extended lockdown that is said to have helped Wuhan in conquering the virus first. So far, several
countries have adopted the lockdown, and the results have been mixed to say the least. It can safely be said the
effects of the lockdown will be studied immensely in the years to come. One such effect that we are exploring in
this review is that on the environment. This review attempts to describe the short term and the long-term effects
of coronavirus pandemic on the environment.

II. DISCUSSIONS:
The paper will try to cover all aspects of the environment that has been affected by the virus. It will
also try to answer the question of whether the effect will endure - or if it will fade away once the virus is
defeated. Additionally, it will study the change in human behaviour that has led to a change in the
environmental conditions as known earlier. The time period being considered for short term impact is 3 months
- from March 2020 to December 2020. Post this time period, we will consider the environmental effects to be
attributed to long term impacts.

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 Effects Of Covid19 Pandemic On Environment
Short Term Impact:
The primary way to look at the short-term impact of COVID deals with 2 aspects:
1. Policy changes introduced by governments across the world
2. Behavioural change of humans in light of the pandemic
This paper will focus on the steps taken by majority governments to combat the pandemic, and then deep dive
on the impact on the environment.
Two of the most talked about policy changes are nationwide or citywide lockdowns, as well as
stoppage on international travel. This had a direct impact on the hospitality, tourism and travel industry, as well
as the services sector. The effects of these changes have been economic, environmental and sociological,
amongst others. We will primarily be focusing on the environmental changes in this paper, with a linkage to
how both economic and sociological factors have influenced the environment.

Long Term Impact:

The methods adopted to tackle the COVID 19 pandemic has seen a huge deviation from the traditional
practices. This paper attempts to discuss the long-term effects of these practices on the environment. With
increase in sanitation and protective equipment for example, the usage of chemicals and plastic protective
equipment have increased manifolds. Though practices are the need of the hour, we are yet to deal with the
threats these practices pose to the environment.
Moreover,the COVID 19 pandemic has not only triggered behavioural changes but also disrupted
business processes due to issues like lack of transportation, allocation of emergency funds to fight the pandemic,
thus leading to several unprecedented problems and delays. This paper will also highlight these examples and
explore the scope of these problems.

Effect on Air Quality:

One of the most significant and talked about immediate changes of the COVID pandemic was
regarding the air quality. India, specifically, witnessed a large change in the air quality index across several
major cities, erstwhile known to be hotbeds of air pollution.
It was observed that just one day after the nationwide lockdown, Delhi (one of the cities with the worst
air pollution across the world) witnessed significant improvement in the air quality. 51% of the NAQI reduction
was witnessed by the fourth day, compared to the 3rd preceding day. The reduction in NAQI can be attributed to
changing levels of pollutants within the air, primarily PM10, PM2.5, NO2 and CO. 1
Not just in India, but also worldwide statistics also indicate that particulate matter emissions dropped
by 0.6 Mt (3.8 percent). Sulphur dioxide emissions (from burning fossil fuels) and nitrogen oxide (from fuel
combustion) also fell by 5.1 Mt (2.9 percent).2 (The data considered for this study was from Jan 2020 to 22 May
2020*).

Effect on Greenhouse Gas Emissions:

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, global greenhouse gas emission levels were rising at around 1% per
year over the previous decade, with no changes in 2019. Despite significant gains in renewable energy
technology, the primary source of energy was restricted to fossil fuel usage.
A study of the energy, activity and policy data available up to April 2020 was utilized to identify daily
emission changes due to COVID 19 pandemic. It was found that across 69 countries, daily carbon dioxide
emissions declined by 17%, from January to April 2020, compared to the mean 2019 levels. At the peak,
emissions in individual countries decreased by 26% on average. Of this, the largest reduction was found in
China, followed by the US, Europe and India, respectively. 3For India, specifically, COVID-19 led to the first
year on year drop in GHG emissions in 4 decades. Emissions fell by 1% in the fiscal year ending March 2020,
due to reduction in coal & oil consumption demands.3

Effect on Plastic Usage:

Single use plastic usage has been paramount in the fight against COVID 19. It has helped in social
distancing by enabling home delivery of food, and by potentially stopping the chain of transmission by replacing
reusable cups and plates in restaurants. Nevertheless, the circulated images of plastic sacks of medical wastes
outside hospitals, as well as masks and other plastic items washing up on beach shores has once again brought
the plastic usage debate to the forefront.
In China, it was estimated that hospitals in Wuhan produced 240 tons of waste daily, as opposed to the
40 tons prior to the pandemic. Daily production of masks rose to 116 million in Feb, 12 times higher than
January.4
A comparable increase could be seen in individual use as well, with face masks production increasing
to 116 million in February 2020, 12 times higher than the previous month.In United Kingdom, it was observed
that illegal waste disposal increased by 300% during the coronavirus pandemic for the initial months. 5
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 Effects Of Covid19 Pandemic On Environment
While similar data could not be found for India, it can be assumed that the 3-month lockdown
drastically increased the usage of single use plastic, especially for hospitals and the food delivery industry. The
impact could potentially also be felt across essentials delivery. Given that single use plastic recycling is not
possible, this can impact the long-term consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Effect on Wildlife Protection:

There are both positives and negatives in the area of wildlife protection with regards to Coronavirus.
On one hand, the pandemic has put a spotlight on global wildlife trade, especially with regards to China. This
has led to increased focus on a worldwide call to ban “wet” markets, which sell live and dead animals for human
consumption.
However, decreased human activity has also led to an increase in poaching, as tourism stops and park
rangers lose their jobs. In anecdotal evidence, it was found that in Botswana, six black rhinos were killed in
March. Additionally, zoo animals are facing problems due to lack of human attention. There have also been
cases of animals getting coronavirus from humans, the most notable one being that of a tiger at the Bronx
Zoo.Conversely, reduction in human movements has increased wildlife movement across cities. In India, a herd
of deer was observed moving freely in the city of Haridwar. Baby Olive Ridley turtles are being increasingly
sighted at beaches, now bereft of humans. Zoo animals, too, are benefiting from privacy. Ying Yang, one of the
pandas in Ocean Park in Hong Kong, was found to be pregnant after 10 years of attempts of natural mating. 6

Effect of Chemical Reagents:

The COVID 19 pandemic has led to a surge in the usage of cleaning chemicals. While extensive
guidelines have been issued by several governments about usage protocols of these chemicals, the increased
usage poses a risk of secondary disaster to human health and ecosystem.
Most of the approved cleaning elements comprise of sodium hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, alcohol,
and glutaraldehyde in varying combinations7. All of these were chemicals are proven to be linked with an
increased risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma when used in abnormal
proportions. The chemical residues left behind by these chemicals can cause trigger cancer, reproductive
disorders, respiratory ailments (including occupational asthma), central nervous system (CNS) impairment,
oxidative damage and other human health effects.8Misinformation and improper usage of these chemicals can be
equally dangerous. Knowledge gaps about the usage of cleaning products and the circulation of fake products
might lead to improper usage thereby causing serious health issues like permanent blindness, seizures, coma,
and serious damage to the nervous system or death. Few cleaning products contain caustic materials, and their
accidental ingestion causes severe gastrointestinal toxicity.9
Although these chemicals are essential tools in fighting COVID infection, these chemicals have not
been proven to reduce the risk of COVID. These chemicals eventually end up in the lakes and rivers via the
sewage system, posing a threat to the aquatic ecosystems. Increased chlorine concentrations interfere with their
life cycle.10 Secondly, the chemicals in the disinfectants can bond with other materials to form harmful
secondary by-products, such as trihalomethanes or halo acetic acids which pose serious health threats.11

Effect on Waste Management:

The global increase in medical waste generation has become a matter of concern in the present COVID
times. Extensive testing and treatment require protective medical gear in the midst of a pandemic. As a result,
countries across the globe have experienced an incessant rise in the amount of medical waste generation.12
The lack of decent waste disposal systems in India has created a significant challenge for the local
waste management authorities. Further complicating situations is the viable time of virus which makes it more
critical to manage medical wastesefficiently and thus reduce, further infection and environmental pollution,
which is now a matter of concern globally.13Polypropylene the major component in N-95 masks, and Tyvek the
major part of protective suits, gloves, and medical face shields, release dioxin and toxic elements which persists
for a long time in the environment14. Improper disposal of these protective equipment enables mixing of wastes
thus, increasing the risk of disease spread through contaminated water or air.15
The worldwide lockdown has increased the demand for packaging and recycling. But the failure of the
recycling industry to cope up with the amount of waste generation has led to enormous amounts of plastic and
paper wastes in landfills which finally end up being burnt due to lack of advanced disposal systems.16
This activity contributes to huge production of GHG. The waste sector accounts for nearly 5 percent of global
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (primarily methane from inadequately disposed waste). In 2016, the waste
sector accounted for 1.6 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent. The World Bank estimates that
these figures will increase to 2.6 billion metric tons by 2050.17

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 Effects Of Covid19 Pandemic On Environment
Effect of Food Wastage:
The global lockdown has affected food supply across thew globe. Where some countries are enduring
hunger, others are experiencing problem due to surplus production and less demand. The pandemic has shut
restaurants, restricted transport and thereby disrupted the supply chain.18Not only is this waste of food tragic
when many are hungry, it is also an environmental hazard and a critical contributor to global warming.
Decomposition of organic material generates methane and carbon dioxide as its natural by products. Methane is
a potent greenhouse gas, 28 to 36 times more effective than CO2 at trapping heat in the atmosphere over a 100-
year period, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.19

Effect on Policies & Renewable Investments:

With the outbreak of COVID 19, international effort has shifted from other vital topics like climate
change to containing the pandemic. The delay of several international conferences on environmental policies
were delayed due to the global lockdown.20Some countries and private companies may delay or cancel
investments in renewable energy or climate action policies if their finances have been impacted by the
pandemic. The need for more emergency services coupled with a reduction in tax revenue has taken an
economic toll on cities and states.21
As a result, funding is likely to be diverted away from climate resilience projects and renewable energy
in developing nations leading to delays in implementation of environment friendly policies.

III. CONCLUSION:
COVID 19 pandemic has not only brought new challenges for us but also exposed the lacuna in the
existing systems, thus, opening up a window for change. Furthermore, the positive changes in the environment
during lockdown proves that we all have a role to play in maintaining a better environment.
Even though we have advanced technology, we are still dependent on healthy ecosystems for our
health, water, food, air and many more. COVID-19 has emphasised the strong connections between nature,
population and climate change, which calls for restructuring current systems in order to reduce the risk of future
crisis and environmental decline.Moreover, the crisis has generated new problems and made us aware that the
world is still not responsible enough about the usage of resources and wastage generated. Therefore, it is high
time for the world to check the impact of our current practices and device innovative solutions towards a greener
future, thus strengthening the symbiotic relationship between nature and mankind.

AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author: Dr. rer. nat. Sameer Agarwal
ORCID : 0000-0002-7039-3028 (SA)
*E-mail: ehmrfoundation@gmail.com; or sameer_ag@yahoo.com (SA).
Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest.
Notes
MeghnaDhankhar, &SucharitaSanyalare volunteers from Tata Consultancy; Shubh Agarwal is volunteer from
The New Tulip International School, Ahmedabad; and Saksham Makin is volunteer from Doon School, Dehra
Dun.
EHMRF Communication No. 1001.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Authors thank management of Environment Health and Malnutrition Research Foundation, for support and
encouragement.

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