Study On Effect Of Coronavirus Lockdowns Shows Unprecedented Reduction In Air Pollution

In Time for Earth Day Major Cities Enjoy Blue Skies

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Apr 21, 2020, 23:01 ET

GOLDACH, Switzerland, April 21, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IQAir (www.iqair.com), a global leader in air quality data and solutions, today published the COVID-19 Air Quality Report that shows that air pollution levels in 10 major global cities have dropped 9 to 60 percent, during government-mandated lockdowns due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The report examined fine particle pollution (PM2.5) in 10 cities while lockdowns were in place compared to the same period in 2019, as well as during the same periods in the previous four years. Cities included in the report are Delhi, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Madrid, Mumbai, Rome, São Paulo, Seoul, and Wuhan. All cities included in the report, except for Rome, experienced a reduction in air pollution levels during lockdown periods compared to the same time periods in 2019.

The most dramatic drops in air pollution occurred in cities with historically high levels of PM2.5:

Delhi experienced a 60 percent reduction in PM2.5 readings compared to the same time period in 2019.
The hours for which Delhi experienced "Unhealthy" rated air pollution fell from 68 percent in 2019 to 17 percent in 2020's lockdown
Seoul had a reduction in air pollution of 54 percent compared to 2019.
Wuhan saw a reduction in air pollution of 44 percent during its lockdown when compared to 2019.
Air pollution in Mumbai was down 34 percent during the lockdown period
São Paulo was down 32 percent year over year.

Automobile-dependent Los Angeles saw its longest streak of clean air on record: during its lockdown period, fine particle pollution in LA was down 31 percent when compared to 2019, and down 51 percent when compared to the previous four-year average. New York City saw air pollution drop 25 percent as a result of its lockdown.

London and Madrid saw more modest reductions in air pollution at 9 percent,11 percent respectively. Rome saw a 30 percent increase in pollution during its lockdown period. Delhi, Mumbai and Los Angeles experienced their best March air quality on record in 2020.

"Across the globe, the coronavirus pandemic has had a monumental impact on the way we live," said Frank Hammes, CEO of IQAir. "While the human and economic costs are devastating, we are also witnessing how much of air pollution comes from human activity. The drastic reduction in air pollution during COVID-19 lockdowns shows how our habits and behaviors directly impact the air we breathe. That's an important insight on this very unique Earth Day."

While coronavirus-related lockdown orders varied by country, most included school closings, restricted movement by residents, the closing of non-essential businesses, and bans on social gatherings.

The report analyzed hourly PM2.5 readings recorded by seven governmental agencies as well as readings provided by supplemental, validated non-governmental monitoring stations. All locations and their data sources are visible on the IQAir AirVisual app and website: https://www.iqair.com/air-quality-map

About IQAir
IQAir is a Swiss-based air quality technology company that since 1963 empowers individuals, organizations and communities to breathe cleaner air through information, collaboration and technology solutions. For more information, please visit http://www.iqair.com.

Tiffany Allegretti, B.A., CRIE
Public Relations Manager
IQAir North America, Inc.
Phone: +1 562-735-0766
E-Mail: [email protected]

SOURCE IQAir North America