Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Correlation Between Relative Humidity and Particulate Matter During the Ongoing of Pandemic: A Systematic Review

  • Review
  • Published:
Aerosol Science and Engineering Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Particulate matter (PM) has been demonstrated to be hazardous to the human body. Various studies have identified the source of PM, but the aggravating factors have not been thoroughly clarified. As a result, preventing or intervening in this problem is critical. The goal of this study is to assess the overall strength of the evidence for the relationship between relative humidity (RH) and PM to create a plan or guideline using water or humidity technique for dealing with and preventing future PM problems. A comprehensive search of articles published in English was conducted across three electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and SpringerLink) in January 2023, using articles available from the inception of the first cluster of COVID-19, on December 1, 2019, until January 12, 2023. Articles were screened against inclusion/exclusion criteria and data from included studies were retrieved and analyzed. Of the 3799 records found, only 52 met the initial inclusion and only 27 articles were included in the final qualitative synthesis. Around forty percent of the studies exhibited the correlation between coarse particulate matter and relative humidity. Half of the total studies found a direct correlation between PM2.5 and RH, while PM10 and RH have the opposite correlation. Most of the studies demonstrated that the correlation between relative humidity and particulate matter is significant. This study suggests that spraying water or increasing humidity to reduce air pollution may decrease the larger-sized dust particles, but have the opposite effect on smaller-sized particles. Those reviewed studies briefly explained the mechanism behind their results, thus providing insight for further investigation and assisting policymakers in staying on track while producing working models. Both simulations and multivariate studies should be conducted as part of these further investigations. For future research, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or machine learning model and a meta-analysis between PM chemical components and RH are recommended.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study can be found in the reference and article citation.

References

  • Ahamed Ibrahim SN, Sri Shalini S, Ramachandran A, Palanivelu K (2022) Spatio-temporal variation and sensitivity analysis of aerosol particulate matter during the COVID-19 phase-wise lockdowns in Indian cities. J Atmos Chem 79(1):39–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arregocés HA, Rojano R, Restrepo G (2021) Effects of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality at Latin America’s largest open-pit coal mine. Aerosol Air Qual Res 21(8):200664

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arregocés HA, Rojano R, Restrepo G (2022) Meteorological factors contributing to organic and elemental carbon concentrations in PM10 near an open-pit coal mine. Environ Sci Pollut Res 29(19):28854–28865

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arunkumar M, Dhanakumar S (2021) Influence of meteorology, mobility, air mass transport and biomass burning on PM2.5 of three north Indian cities: phase-wise analysis of the COVID-19 lockdown. Environ Monit Assess 193(9):618

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bahari RA, Abbaspour RA, Pahlavani P (2014) Prediction of PM2.5 concentrations using temperature inversion effects based on an artificial neural network. Int Arch Photogramm Remote Sens Spat Inf Sci XL-2/W3:73–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bera B, Bhattacharjee S, Sengupta N, Saha S (2022) Variation and dispersal of PM10 and PM2.5 during COVID-19 lockdown over Kolkata metropolitan city, India investigated through HYSPLIT model. Geosci Front 13(1):101291

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bevan GH, Al-Kindi SG, Brook RD, Münzel T, Rajagopalan S (2021) Ambient air pollution and atherosclerosis: insights into dose, time, and mechanisms. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 41(2):628–637

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaulin A, Duplyakov D (2021) The role of environmental factors in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases Part 1. Air pollution. Arch Euromedica 11(1):30–35

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaulin AM, Sergeev AK (2022) The role of fine particles (PM 2.5) in the genesis of atherosclerosis and myocardial damage: emphasis on clinical and epidemiological data, and pathophysiological mechanisms. Cardiol Res 13(5):268–282

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, Bao K, Li K, Lv B, Bao Z, Lin C et al (2017) Ozone and secondary organic aerosol formation of toluene/NOx irradiations under complex pollution scenarios. Aerosol Air Qual Res 17(7):1760–1771

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen Y, Zhou Y, Zhao X (2020) PM2.5 over North China based on MODIS AOD and effect of meteorological elements during 2003–2015. Front Environ Sci Eng 14(2):23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chen H, Zhang S, Shen W, Salazar C, Schneider A, Wyatt L et al (2021) The influence of dietary intake of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on the association between short-term exposure to ambient nitrogen dioxide and respiratory and cardiovascular outcomes among healthy adults. Environ Health 20(1):123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danek T, Weglinska E, Zareba M (2022) The influence of meteorological factors and terrain on air pollution concentration and migration: a geostatistical case study from Krakow, Poland. Sci Rep 12(1):11050

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Das M, Das A, Sarkar R, Mandal P, Saha S, Ghosh S (2021) Exploring short term spatio-temporal pattern of PM2.5 and PM10 and their relationship with meteorological parameters during COVID-19 in Delhi. Urban Clim 39:100944

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ding J, Dai Q, Li Y, Han S, Zhang Y, Feng Y (2021) Impact of meteorological condition changes on air quality and particulate chemical composition during the COVID-19 lockdown. J Environ Sci 109:45–56

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Du T, Wang M, Guan X, Zhang M, Zeng H, Chang Y et al (2020) Characteristics and formation mechanisms of winter particulate pollution in Lanzhou, Northwest China. J Geophys Res Atmos [Internet]. 125(18). https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/https://doi.org/10.1029/2020JD033369. Accessed 19 Jan 2023

  • Duan J, Huang RJ, Chang Y, Zhong H, Gu Y, Lin C et al (2021) Measurement report of the change of PM2.5 composition during the COVID-19 lockdown in urban Xi’an: enhanced secondary formation and oxidation. Sci Total Environ 791:148126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farahat A, Chauhan A, Al Otaibi M, Singh RP (2021) Air quality over major cities of Saudi Arabia during Hajj periods of 2019 and 2020. Earth Syst Environ 5(1):101–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao C, Li S, Liu M, Zhang F, Achal V, Tu Y et al (2021) Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air pollution in Chinese megacities from the perspective of traffic volume and meteorological factors. Sci Total Environ 773:145545

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huo Y, Wang Y, Paasonen P, Liu Q, Tang G, Ma Y et al (2021) Trends of planetary boundary layer height over urban cities of China from 1980–2018. Front Environ Sci 16(9):744255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ivanovski M, Lavrič PD, Vončina R, Goričanec D, Urbancl D (2022) Improvement of air quality during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the Republic of Slovenia and its connection with meteorology. Aerosol Air Qual Res 22(9):210262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Javed Z, Bilal M, Qiu Z, Li G, Sandhu O, Mehmood K et al (2022) Spatiotemporal characterization of aerosols and trace gases over the Yangtze River Delta region, China: impact of trans-boundary pollution and meteorology. Environ Sci Eur 34(1):86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jia H, Huo J, Fu Q, Duan Y, Lin Y, Jin X et al (2020) Insights into chemical composition, abatement mechanisms and regional transport of atmospheric pollutants in the Yangtze River Delta region, China during the COVID-19 outbreak control period. Environ Pollut 267:115612

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiaxin C, Hui H, Feifei W, Mi Z, Ting Z, Shicheng Y et al (2021) Air quality characteristics in Wuhan (China) during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Environ Res 195:110879

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kamra AK, Deshpande CG, Gopalakrishnan V (1997) Effect of relative humidity on the electrical conductivity of marine air. Q J R Meteorol Soc 123(541):1295–1305

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kissell FN (2003) Handbook for dust control in mining. Natl Inst Occup Saf Health, p 132

  • Li H, Ma Y, Duan F, Zhu L, Ma T, Yang S et al (2021) Stronger secondary pollution processes despite decrease in gaseous precursors: a comparative analysis of summer 2020 and 2019 in Beijing. Environ Pollut 279:116923

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu L, Ma X, Wen W, Sun C, Jiao J (2021) Characteristics and potential sources of wintertime air pollution in Linfen, China. Environ Monit Assess 193(5):252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma Y, Zhao H, Wei X (2022a) Changes of air pollutants and simulation of a heavy pollution process during COVID-19 in Shenyang. Environ Monit Assess 194(10):723

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ma L, Lin Z, Wang J, Ye R, Li Y, Chen P et al (2022b) Association between short-term exposure to ambient air pollution and number of outpatient Helicobacter pylori infection visits. Environ Sci Pollut Res [Internet]. https://link.springer.com/https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-022-23826-8. Accessed 12 Jan 2023

  • Mo Z, Huang J, Chen Z, Zhou B, Zhu K, Liu H et al (2021) Cause analysis of PM2.5 pollution during the COVID-19 lockdown in Nanning China. Sci Rep 11(1):11119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan AD, Zakeri R, Quint JK (2018) Defining the relationship between COPD and CVD: what are the implications for clinical practice? Ther Adv Respir Dis 1(12):175346581775052

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Otmani A, Benchrif A, Tahri M, Bounakhla M, Chakir EM, El Bouch M et al (2020) Impact of Covid-19 lockdown on PM10, SO2 and NO2 concentrations in Salé City (Morocco). Sci Total Environ 735:139541

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Page MJ, Moher D, Bossuyt PM, Boutron I, Hoffmann TC, Mulrow CD et al (2021) PRISMA 2020 explanation and elaboration: updated guidance and exemplars for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ 29:n160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salehi M, Mirhoseini SH, Karimi B, Almasi Hashiani A (2021) Association between airborne particles and meteorological parameters in Arak industrial city. J Air Pollut Health [Internet]. https://publish.kne-publishing.com/index.php/JAPH/article/view/7604. Accessed 19 Jan 2023

  • Sarmadi M, Rahimi S, Rezaei M, Sanaei D, Dianatinasab M (2021) Air quality index variation before and after the onset of COVID-19 pandemic: a comprehensive study on 87 capital, industrial and polluted cities of the world. Environ Sci Eur 33(1):134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sbai SE, Bentayeb F, Yin H (2022) Atmospheric pollutants response to the emission reduction and meteorology during the COVID-19 lockdown in the north of Africa (Morocco). Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess 36(11):3769–3784

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Spiteri G, Fielding J, Diercke M, Campese C, Enouf V, Gaymard A et al (2020) First cases of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the WHO European Region, 24 January to 21 February 2020. Eurosurveillance [Internet]. 25(9). https://www.eurosurveillance.org/content/https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2020.25.9.2000178. Accessed 5 Mar 2022

  • Tan F, Guo Y, Zhang W, Xu X, Zhang M, Meng F et al (2021) Large-scale spraying of roads with water contributes to, rather than prevents, air pollution. Toxics 9(6):122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • United Nations (2019) Un climate change annual report. Bonn: United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

  • US EPA O (2016) Particulate Matter (PM) Basics [Internet]. https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/particulate-matter-pm-basics. Accessed 22 Jan 2023

  • World Health Organization (2017) Monitoring progress on universal health coverage and the health-related sustainable development goals in the South–East Asia Region: 2018 update. Reg Off South-East Asia

  • Xing YF, Xu YH, Shi MH, Lian YX (2016) The impact of PM2.5 on the human respiratory system. J Thorac Dis 8(1):E69-74

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang L, Hong S, He C, Huang J, Ye Z, Cai B et al (2020) Spatio-temporal heterogeneity of the relationships between PM2.5 and Its determinants: a case study of Chinese cities in winter of 2020. Front Public Health 10:810098

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang R, Jing J, Tao J, Hsu SC, Wang G, Cao J et al (2013) Chemical characterization and source apportionment of PM2.5 in Beijing: seasonal perspective. Atmos Chem Phys 13(14):7053–7074

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao N, Wang G, Li G, Lang J, Zhang H (2020) Air pollution episodes during the COVID-19 outbreak in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region of China: an insight into the transport pathways and source distribution. Environ Pollut 267:115617

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Dr. Roger Timothy Callaghan for grammatical improvement.

Funding

This study was supported by Mae Fah Luang University.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine, Mae Fah Luang University, Chiang Rai, Thailand

    Tanakorn Tanatachalert & Arnon Jumlongkul

Authors
  1. Tanakorn Tanatachalert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Arnon Jumlongkul
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Contributions

Tanakorn Tanatachalert performed the data analysis and wrote the manuscript, while Arnon Jumlongkul designed and summarized the project.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arnon Jumlongkul.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare that this study was carried out without any potential conflicts of interest.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Tanatachalert, T., Jumlongkul, A. Correlation Between Relative Humidity and Particulate Matter During the Ongoing of Pandemic: A Systematic Review. Aerosol Sci Eng 7, 295–302 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-023-00186-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-023-00186-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation