ESA, pollution down 50% in Europe

Restrictions implemented in several cities across Europe to stem the coronavirus pandemic have resulted in a dramatic drop in pollution. The European Space Agency announced this, stating that in some cities nitrogen dioxide levels have halved. The improvement in air quality is particularly evident in Italy, Spain and France where the lockdown has been in place for several weeks. In Paris from April 13 to March 13 there was a 54% drop in nitrogen dioxide levels compared to the same period last year. In Milan, Rome and Madrid about 45%. 

The collection of new data comes from the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite within the European Union's Copernicus program, recalls ESA, specifying that nitrogen dioxide is produced by power plants, vehicles and other industrial structures and can have a significant impact on human health, increasing the likelihood of developing respiratory problems. The concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in our atmosphere vary widely from day to day due to fluctuations in emissions, as well as changes in weather conditions, says the ESA website.

Scientists from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (Knmi) have monitored air pollution in Europe in recent months and the maps showing nitrogen dioxide concentrations over a month have an uncertainty of 15% reflecting meteorological variability not measured in the various monthly averages used in the various countries, explains Henk Eskes of the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute who will continue to work on a more detailed analysis of other northern European countries, where greater variability of data is observed due to changing weather conditions.