Lockdown Effects on Air Quality in Megacities During the First and Second Waves of COVID-19 Pandemic

ABSTRACT: Air pollution is among the highest contributors to mortality worldwide, especially in urban areas. During spring 2020, many countries enacted social distancing measures in order to slow down the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. A particularly drastic measure, the “lockdown”, urged people to stay at home and thereby prevent new COVID-19 infections during the first (2020) and second wave (2021) of the pandemic. In turn, it also reduced traffic and industrial activities. But how much did these lockdown measures improve air quality in large cities, and are there differences in how air quality was affected? Here, we analyse data from two megacities: London as an example for Europe and Delhi as an example for Asia. We consider data during first and second-wave lockdowns and compare them to 2019 values

SUBMITTER: Aswin Giri J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9702681 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature