The Influence of Covid-19 Lockdown on Btex Level Distributions in Belgrade

In this study, we have used the Standard Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-quad-MS) for online measurements of volatile organic compounds during the three-month campaign before, during, and after the state of emergency introduced as a preventive measure to the COVID-19 pandemic. The obtained data were analyzed by using correlations with hierarchical clustering, box plots, time variations, and bivariate polar plots with correlation and slope factor analysis, to provide better insight into the behavior and sources of the analyzed pollutants. As shown, pollutant concentrations have decreased only a week after the introduction of the curfew, and the benzene concentration dynamic was shown to be different compared to toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes behavior pattern.