NASA Study Shows How the Pandemic Affected Air Pollution Around the World

Using satellite imagery and other data points, NASA scientists confirmed what many already guessed — lockdowns have improved the air quality of cities around the world.

Washington, D.C., USA, 2021-Jan-04 — /EPR Network/ —

During the 2020 International Conference for High-Performance Computing, Networking, Storage, and Analysis — which was held virtually in November —, NASA scientists reported that the lockdowns have reduced global nitrogen dioxide emissions by nearly 20% since February.

This not only helps support the data found through other satellite and ground-level observations but also puts an exact number on just how much pollution was avoided due to the lockdowns.

“We all knew the lockdowns were going to have an impact on air quality,” said lead author Christoph Keller. “It was also soon clear that it was going to be difficult to quantify how much of that change is related to the lockdown measures, versus general seasonality or variability in pollution.”

Keller works in Goddard’s Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO), which uses high-tech computer models to help track the chemistry of the ocean and the atmosphere. The data was obtained by comparing the current readings of the atmosphere to a computer model of what a COVID-free 2020 would have been like, using the same technology that the GMAO usually employs to forecast future climate scenarios.

The choice to look into nitrogen dioxide (NO2) readings was a very deliberate one. NO2 is a pollutant that is primarily produced as a result of fossil fuels being burned to meet industrial and transportation needs. Both sectors were significantly affected by the restrictions imposed to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Many studies compare 2020 data to numbers registered in previous years in order to measure the impact of the pandemic, but in their press release, NASA pointed out that this is an inadequate approach.

“No two years are exactly alike,” states the press release that announced the results. “Normal variations in weather and atmospheric circulation change the make-up and chemistry of Earth’s atmosphere. Comparing 2020 nitrogen dioxide concentrations with data from 2019 or 2018 alone would not account for year-to-year differences.”

Since the NASA model projections account for these natural variations, scientists can get a clear view of how much of the 2020 changes to NO2 levels were caused specifically by the COVID-19 measures.

The massive study involved two main sources of information. The first was the computer model that allowed the team to create a close representation of what the atmosphere of a COVID-free 2020 would have been like. And the second source of data was the information on N02 levels in the real world, obtained from over five thousand observation sites spread between 46 countries.

While the global drop in NO2 emissions was 20%, local reductions were much more drastic. The NASA team pointed out that 50 of the 61 cities analyzed by the study saw an N02 reduction higher than 20%, going as high as 50% in some regions.

Having less air pollution in the city you live in, however, does not protect you from air pollution that originates from your house or apartment. Mold, in particular, is becoming more of a problem as people are forced to stay inside to conform to lockdown orders. It is one of the most common causes of indoor air pollution.

If you think you might have mold on your house, get in touch with All Star Mold Removal. They can take care of mold inspection, remediation, and removal for you. The company has professionals across the US, and they offer free mold inspections to all customers — if nothing is found, you won’t have to pay anything. And if they do find mold, they’ll offer you options and solutions on the spot.

Source: https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-model-reveals-how-much-covid-related-pollution-levels-deviated-from-the-norm