Research Guides: ENSP 400: Capstone in Environmental Science and Policy: COVID &amp; Air Quality

COVID & Air Quality

This project will identify how restricted travel brought on by Covid-19 Pandemic has affected air quality in Prince George’s County. Public health outcomes from identified changes in air quality will be explored along with polices to reduce travel demand within the region.

Map of air emissions in the eastern seaboard

Image Credit: NASA

Search strategies:
Corona* and "air emissions" and (Maryland or Prince George's County)
(corona* or COVID-19) and ("air emissions" or "air pollution")

Quotes around a phrase tell a database to look for that exact phrase
The * allows for variations Examples:

manage* = manage or manages or management
corona* = corona or coronavirus

Google can limit documents to:

government when you type site:gov = federal /state / municipal / local government and government-sponsored research

For example: "air pollution" site:gov

For additional information on searching, see the Search Strategies under Library Overview.

Databases provide full text or abstract collections that cover a specific topic or topics. They are like Google Scholar, but more focused on a subject. The databases listed below will help you find more valuable information. GreenWire will also help you find recent news articles that may help direct your research.

Academic Search Ultimate
Multi-disciplinary database providing information for nearly every area of academic study. Includes an enormous collection of the most valuable peer-reviewed full text journals, as well as additional journals, magazines, newspapers and books. Multidisciplinary subjects including: social sciences, humanities, education, computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language & linguistics, arts & literature, medicine, ethnic studies. 1965- present.
ClimateWire
ClimateWire covers the debate over climate policy and its effects on business, the environment and society. It covers in-depth every day the key issues that surround the debate over climate change. It deliver news-breaking coverage to the people who make, influence or will be affected by climate policy. Federal agency programs, legislation, policies and funding; State program development and implementation; International agency activities; Corporate/multi- national response to climate concerns; Kyoto implementation and Post-Kyoto negotiations; and more. Time span: 2009 to the present. Updated daily at 8 am.
Google Scholar
Google Scholar searches academic publishers, professional societies, pre-print archives, and university institutional repositories.
ScienceDirect
Peer-reviewed, full text database containing electronic book and journal titles covering the fields of science, technology and medicine. In addition to keyword searches, the image search and value added content associated with the publication can be found in the form of audio, video and datasets. Extensive coverage of the physical and biological sciences, significant numbers of journals in the social sciences, and some journals in the humanities. Dates of abstracting and indexing vary. Full text prior to 1995 often going back to vol. 1, iss. 1
Author searches are done on the last name only.
Subject searches are supported, but subjects are not presented within the records.
Truncation is not supported in phrases.

There are many resources showing changes in air emissions during COVID, though not all of them focus on Prince George's County. Start with Google. Try adding site:.gov to your search. This will retrieve documents published by or research supported by all levels of government (local, state, federal).

Screencap of Google government site search

NASA
NASA has released data visualizations that show changes in air pollution during the COVID-19 pandemic.
NOAA
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency has an abundance of information on atmospheric conditions in the United States.
CMNS @ UMD
The College of Computer, Mathematical, & Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland often publish on new research regarding COVID-19 and the effect on surrounding areas.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a private, nonprofit organization of the country’s leading researchers. The NAS recognizes and promotes outstanding science through election to membership; publication in its journal, PNAS; and its awards, programs, and special activities.

The videos below are helpful in describing the basic principles and concepts of air pollution change during COVID. They also point to some reasons why air pollution didn't just end completely while everyone was in lock down.