Decrease in life expectancy due to COVID-19 disease not offset by reduced environmental impacts associated with lockdowns in Italy. (1st January 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Rugani, Benedetto; Conticini, Edoardo; Frediani, Bruno; Caro, Dario
• Is Part Of: Environmental pollution. Volume 292:Part A(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-01-01
• Subjects: COVID-19 -- Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) -- energy metabolism -- environmental impact -- life cycle assessment (LCA) -- SARS-CoV-2; Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Environmental aspects -- Periodicals; Environmental Pollution -- Periodicals; Pollution -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Aspect de l'environnement -- Périodiques; Pollution -- Effets physiologiques -- Périodiques; Pollution; Pollution -- Environmental aspects; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 363.73
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118224
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0269-7491

Abstract

Abstract: The consequence of the lockdowns implemented to address the COVID-19 pandemic on human health damage due to air pollution and other environmental issues must be better understood. This paper analyses the effect of reducing energy demand on the evolution of environmental impacts during the occurrence of 2020-lockdown periods in Italy, with a specific focus on life expectancy. An energy metabolism analysis is conducted based on the life cycle assessment (LCA) of all monthly energy consumptions, by sector, category and province area in Italy between January 2015 to December 2020. Results show a general decrease (by ∼5% on average) of the LCA midpoint impact categories (global warming, stratospheric ozone depletion, fine particulate matter formation, etc.) over the entire year 2020 when compared to past years. These avoided impacts, mainly due to reductions in fossil energy consumptions, are meaningful during the first lockdown phase between March and May 2020 (by ∼21% on average). Regarding the LCA endpoint damage on human health, ∼66 Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) per 100, 000 inhabitants are estimated to be saved. The analysis shows that the magnitude of the officially recorded casualties is substantially larger than the estimated gains in human lives due to the environmental impact reductions. Future research could therefore investigate the complex cause-effect relationships between the deaths occurred in 2020 imputed to COVID-19 disease and co-factors other than the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Graphical abstract: Image 1 Highlights: Environmental impacts in Italy due to energy metabolism were assessed from Jan-2015. Covid-19 related lockdowns in 2020 favoured a reduction by ∼5% of those impacts. Examples of impact savings are ∼54 Mt CO2 -eq., ∼120 kt NOx -eq. and ∼39 kt PM2.5 -eq. ∼66 Disability Adjusted Life Years per 100, 000 inhabitants are estimated to be saved. These beneficial effects are however far from balance Covid-19 related harmful effects.