A map developed by a team from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, in Spain, shows the decrease in air pollution in the Iberian Peninsula in 10 days.
With factories closed, fewer cars on the roads and people at home, Chinese cities have begun to see a clear decrease in pollution, in a country very affected by air and noise pollution.
Now, with the move of the Covid-19 pandemic epicenter from China to Europe, the European continent is also going through the same phase of pollution reduction.
ABC revealed a map developed in a study by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, Spain, in which it is possible to observe, through satellite data, the abrupt decrease in pollution in the Iberian Peninsula within just ten days – since the quarantine measures started.
In Lisbon, Portugal, there is still pollution, as well as in Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. Still, the levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) are clearly lower. ABC reports that movement to big cities fell by 64% and long-distance travel decreased by almost 62%. This led to a drop in air pollution, in general terms, of around 83%.
Elena Sánchez-García, a researcher at the Center for Physical Technologies at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, explained that “As has been verified in the case of Wuhan (China), and northern Italy, our study shows how the confinement measures and reduction of economic activity have translated into a clear decrease in air pollution throughout the country.”
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