Influential Factors on Aerosol Change During COVID-19 in Ayutthaya, Thailand

Abstract

Various interventions were made by the Thai government to prevent the COVID-19 spread by controlling socioeconomic activities, but the effectiveness of these interventions and other factors have not yet been fully clarified. Thus, this study aims to provide further scientific evidence on those potential factors which affect the socioeconomic activities changes during the pandemic, by using spatial analysis on atmospheric composition. By taking Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand as the case area. Results of the government's COVID-19 measures and statuses of industries were compared with changes in aerosols, including PM 2.5 which was analyzed by Google Earth Engine with nine open datasets including meteorological and hydrological factors. The analysis revealed that the aerosol index in ueban area of the province decreased at 28.03% in 2020 compared in 2019. Besides, PM 2.5 drastically decreased from March 2020, even without the influence of wind speed which as the highest causal relationship, and kept low level compared with previous years. The reason of the tendency would be explained that other than government interventions including national-level state of the emergency decree, reduction of factories’ activities at Rojana Industrial Park and reduction of the number of tourists had significant influence to reduce the mean value of PM 2.5.