Assessing environmental impacts of COVID-19 emergency public health measures in Oxford City.

2020年初，英国各地实施了紧急公共卫生措施，以遏制新冠肺炎的传播；这对环境空气质量(AQ)产生了重大影响。广为人知的卫星数据表明，空气污染物(AP)浓度的降低对人类健康具有潜在的好处；然而，地面测量表明，英国城市的趋势更为复杂。这些事件提供了一个独特的自然实验机会，可以更好地了解这些措施产生的环境后果，并将这种学习应用到未来的AQ干预场景中。我们的研究重点是牛津(人口约155,000)。牛津面临着严重的空气质量和健康不平等挑战，相当于每20人中就有1人因接触AP而过早死亡。市和县议会计划从2021年起引入零排放区和强化低排放区，并在2030年前实现碳中性。牛津也是现有研究活动的焦点，包括NIHR、Defra、Highways England和Research England资助的研究支持广泛的环境和交通监测能力以及现有的研究基础设施，我们计划在这项研究中利用和重新定位这些基础设施。我们计划进行一项为期18个月的研究，整合来自多个观测输入(例如空气质量、噪声、智能路边传感器)的纵向数据，以便能够对牛津引入、维护和移除新冠肺炎措施的积极和负面影响进行稳健评估。我们吸收的数据将被用来产生一系列空气质量控制情景和预测的健康益处，从而告知和重新定义理事会领导的空气质量政策和气候战略。

Emergency public health measures were implemented across the UK in early 2020 to suppress COVID-19 transmission; with major implications for ambient air quality (AQ). Well publicised satellite data have indicated associated reductions in air pollutant (AP) concentrations with potential benefits for human health; however ground-based measurements suggest more complex trends in UK cities. These events present a unique natural experimental opportunity to better understand environmental consequences arising from these measures and to apply this learning to future AQ intervention scenarios.Our research focus is Oxford (population ~155,000). Oxford has significant AQ and health inequity challenges, with the equivalent of 1 in 20 early deaths attributed to AP exposure. The City and County Councils plan to introduce a Zero Emissions Zone and enhanced Low Emission Zone from 2021 and to achieve carbon neutral status by 2030. Oxford is also a focal point for existing research activity, including NIHR, Defra, Highways England and Research England funded studies supporting a broad range of environmental and transport monitoring capabilities and existing research infrastructure, which we plan to utilise and repurpose for this study.We plan a 18 month study to integrate longitudinal data arising from multiple observational inputs (e.g. AQ, noise, smart roadside sensors) to enable robust evaluation of the positive and negative impacts of introduction, maintenance and removal of COVID-19 measures in Oxford City. The data we assimilate will be used to generate a series of AQ control scenarios and predicted health benefits, thereby informing and redefining council-led AQ policy and climate strategy.