Early spring near-surface ozone in Europe during the COVID-19 shutdown: Meteorological effects outweigh emission changes.

ABSTRACT: This paper analyses the impact of the control measures during the COVID-19 lockdown in Europe (15 March-30 April 2020) on 1-h daily maximum nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and maximum daily 8-h running average ozone (MDA8 O₃) observations obtained from the European Environment Agency's air quality database (AirBase). Daily maximum NO₂ decreased consistently over the whole continent, with relative reductions ranging from 5% to 55% with respect to the same period in 2015-2019 for 80% of the sites considered (10th - 90th percentiles). However, MDA8 O₃ concentrations showed a different pattern, decreasing over Iberia and increasing elsewhere. In particular, a large region from northwestern to central Europe experienced increases of 10-22% at urban background

SUBMITTER: Ordonez C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7385987 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature