The COVID-19 pandemic has caused industrial activity to shut down and canceled flights and other journeys, slashing greenhouse gas emissions and pollution around the world. In Wuhan alone, 11 million people were in lockdown at the height of the outbreak there. Across China, over half a billion. China normally emits in excess of 30 megatonnes of nitrogen oxides per year, with estimates for 2019 reaching 40 megatonnes (Feng & Cheng, 2020). Most NO₂ comes from road transport and power plants, and it can exacerbate respiratory illnesses such as asthma. It also makes symptoms worse for those suffering from lung or heart conditions.
Fig 1: Pollution levels in China
Source: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2020/04/coronavirus-lockdowns-air-pollution/
As we can see from Figure 1, these measurements show that during late January and early February 2020, levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) over cities and industrial areas in China were lower than in the same period in 2019, by as much as 40% (Monks, 2020). This signifies an improvement in air quality in China, due to the lockdowns and decrease in industrial activity.
Figure 2: Italy’s Canals
Similarly, in Venice, lockdowns have transformed Venice’s usually dark, murky waterways into noticeably clearer waters, as seen in figure 2. The water now looks clearer because there is less traffic and the air is less polluted as well since there are less vaporetti [canal boats] and boat traffic than usual because of the restricted movement of residents (Clifford, 2020).
Figure 3: Level of air pollutants in Singapore (2016-2020)
Source: https://aaqr.org/articles/aaqr-20-06-covid-0303
Last but not least, during the lockdown period, the PSI in Singapore was always lower than 50, which is classified by the NEA as “Good” on a 5–point scale. As we can see from figure 3, all the air quality parameters in 2020 during the lockdown period were significantly lower than those in the previous years, with the exception of O3. Particulate matter negatively affects the health of people since it can penetrate inside the lungs and those particles with a diameter smaller than 2.5 microns can even enter the bloodstream. This contributes to higher risks of developing cardiovascular, respiratory diseases and lung cancer. The reduction in outdoor pollutants during the COVID lockdown may have had a positive impact both in the short- and long-term health of Singaporeans. We observed PM10 and PM2.5 24-h mean concentrations lower than the WHO recommended level which is 50 µg m–3 and 25 µg m–3, respectively (Li & Tartarini, 2020).
Hence, the COVID-19 pandemic is indeed a blessing in disguise, as it brings about a reduction in pollution levels worldwide!
Thank you, and we will see you again.
Source:
- Clifford, C. (2020) “The water in Venice, Italy’s canals is running clear amid the COVID-19 lockdown — take a look” Retrieved from: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/18/photos-water-in-venice-italys-canals-clear-amid-covid-19-lockdown.html
- Feng, E. & Cheng, A. (2020) “Restrictions And Rewards: How China Is Locking Down Half A Billion Citizens” Retrieved from: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2020/02/21/806958341/restrictions-and-rewards-how-china-is-locking-down-half-a-billion-citizens
- Li, J. & Tartarini, F. (2020) “Changes in Air Quality during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Singapore and Associations with Human Mobility Trends” Retrieved from: https://aaqr.org/articles/aaqr-20-06-covid-0303
- Monks, P. (2020) “Coronavirus: lockdown’s effect on air pollution provides rare glimpse of low-carbon future” Retrieved from: https://theconversation.com/coronavirus-lockdowns-effect-on-air-pollution-provides-rare-glimpse-of-low-carbon-future-134685
