The effect of Covid-19 pandemic lockdown on air pollutants levels within the Baghdad International Airport area in Iraq

Abstract

Abstract Airports and the aviation industry cause regional and global environmental pollution due to their various activities. Therefore, improving the environmental performance has become a global challenge to giving high priority to environmental protection. This study measured and analyzed the essential air pollutants associated with aircraft movement in the Baghdad International Airport (BIA). Responsible for (77%) of the air traffic in Iraq, the largest and most important airport in Iraq, during the restart of the sector after stopping due to the Covid − 19 pandemic, and comparing them with local and global determinants, as well as comparing them with measurements made before the pandemic. The study dealt with selecting reference measurement sites recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), where gases and particulates were measured in (12) external and internal sites, using advanced portable devices approved by the Iraqi Ministry of Health and Environment. Gases and molecular measurements were made for (45) flight operations, and (570) external and internal measurements were made, and concentrations of some parameters were recorded outside the permissible limits outside, such as: PM₁₀ = 215.8 µg/m3, TSP = 450.5 µg/m3, NO₂ = 3.01 ppm, SO2 = 0.76 ppm, O3 = 1.47 ppm, VOCS = 0.89 ppm, while internal measurements recorded the maximum concentrations at TSP = 21.2 µg/m3, NO₂ = 2.13 ppm, and O3 = 0.66 ppm. This calls for setting up fixed stations for continuous monitoring of air pollutants, conducting periodic checks and implementing the necessary treatments.