Dramatic decreases in traffic caused by COVID-19 shutdowns improved air quality in car-dependent states but didn’t offset additional forms of pollution in other parts of the country.
Dramatic decreases in traffic caused by COVID-19 shutdowns improved air quality in car-dependent states but didn’t offset additional forms of pollution in other parts of the country.
Those findings by a University of South Florida researcher suggest that while decreasing the number of vehicles on the road is a good first step toward creating cleaner air, additional measures aimed at reducing other sources of air pollution, such as coal plants or industrial factories, must also be considered.
The study, led by Yasin Elshorbany, an assistant professor of atmospheric chemistry and climate change at USF’s St. Petersburg campus, was published in the Journal of Remote Sensing.
For the study, Elshorbany analyzed the impact of the pandemic-related lockdown on air quality by using remote sensors that measured different elements within the air, including nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide, ozone and aerosol particles. The study focused on states with high traffic volume, such as New York, Illinois, Florida, Texas and California.
Read more at: University of South Florida
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