Remote Sensing and GIS Applications in Environmental Sciences
Exploring the Spatial Relationship between Agrochemicals Exposure and Covid-19 Infection and Mortality
Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Tehran university-Faculty of geography-Department of Remote Sensing and GIS
2 Department of Geography and Rural Planning, Faculty of Humanities, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran
3 Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of Geography, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
4 Department of Remote Sensing and GIS, Faculty of planning and Environmental Sciences, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Objective: Various environmental factors have resulted in disparities in the number of infections of COVID-19 and its mortality in different areas. People with underlying diseases have a higher infection and mortality rate than the general population. The use of agricultural pesticides and fertilizers is one of the major contributors to the spread of underlying diseases. Therefore, they may indirectly contribute to increased COVID-19-related infection and mortality. Accordingly, exploring the spatial relationship between the use of pesticides and fertilizers, and the infection to COVID-19, death due to infection, and mortality to infection ratio are the main objectives of this paper.
Methods: In this regard, the Geographically Weighted Regression model was used to explore the relationships in the rural district of the East Azerbaijan province in Iran.
Results: The findings revealed a significant spatial relationship between the use of herbicides, potassium, phosphate, and insecticides and an increase in COVID-19-related infection, particularly mortality. Areas of high total use and hotspots of herbicide and potassium were significantly positively correlated with an increase in COVID-19 mortality. High usage of phosphate and insecticides, as well as their hotspots, were associated with high COVID-19 infection and death in most indices. Their coefficients, however, were lower than those of herbicides and potassium. There is no evidence of a relationship between increasing COVID-19 infection and mortality and high total fungicide and nitrate use and hotspots.
Conclusion: The findings of this study revealed a positive spatial relationship between the use of agrochemicals and an increase in COVID-19 infection and mortality.
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