COVID-19: Has social isolation reduced the emission of pollutants in the megacity of São Paulo-Brazil?

Abstract: The first case of COVID-19 in Brazil was registered in the city of São Paulo on February 26, 2020; however, restrictive measures and social distancing were only determined in the city on March 17, 2020. A partial lockdown aimed to mitigate the advance of the virus by raising the social isolation rates, by limiting the operation of several services and the mobility of the population. Thus, this study aims to analyze the relationship between the social isolation index in the city of São Paulo and the emission levels of the main air pollutants (PM, PM, NO, NO, NO, SO and CO), as well as air temperature.