Air pollution analysis in Istanbul between January 2019 and April 2022 through remote sensing technology

Abstract

The need to study air pollution and its connection to human health is no longer a strange idea. Despite the fatalities and illnesses caused by COVID-19, the quarantines significantly decreased air pollution and deaths during this period. Today, satellites can monitor air pollution with great precision, and the research process has quickened, providing professionals with helpful information. This research analyzed six air contaminants using the Sentinel 5P satellite and the Google Earth Engine platform in Istanbul, Turkiye. January 2019 to January 2020, as before COVID—the pandemic period, and January 2020 to April 2022, during and somehow after the pandemic period. The data revealed a notable upward trend in air pollution and pinpointed hot spots. It should be mentioned that the whole city is now affected by different types of air pollution. The issue has been exacerbated in districts like Fatih, bey, and Bayrampasa, where air pollution decreased during COVID's quarantine. Meanwhile, Asian neighborhoods of Istanbul, such as Kadikoy and Uskudar, have been identified as new hotspots where air pollution has also reached severe levels recently.