The European Space Agency released a new video this weekend that shows air pollution vanishing over China as the country goes into COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown, then returning as business resumes.
“Breathing air with a high concentration of NO2 can irritate airways in the human respiratory system,” according to the“Such exposures over short periods can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms , hospital admissions and visits to emergency rooms. Longer exposures to elevated concentrations of NO2 may contribute to the development of asthma and potentially increase susceptibility to respiratory infections.
NO2 is not a greenhouse gas, but greenhouse gases likely have seen a similar drop as lockdowns across the world shutter factories and reduce automobile traffic. “As nitrogen dioxide is primarily produced by traffic and factories, it is a first-level indicator of industrial activity worldwide,” said Josef Aschbacher, ESA’s Director of Earth Observation Programmes.
The Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite monitors air pollution by measuring a multitude of trace gases and aerosols. Last week the ESA released video of a pollution decline over northern Italy as that country entered lockdown:
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