The role of emission reductions and the meteorological situation for air quality improvements during the COVID-19 lockdown period in central Europe
21 September 2021
COVID-19 lockdown measures in spring 2020 led to cleaner air in central Europe. Densely populated areas benefitted mainly from largely reduced NO2 concentrations, while rural areas experienced lower reductions in NO2 but also lower ozone concentrations. Very low particulate matter (PM) concentrations in parts of Europe were not an effect of lockdown measures. Model simulations show that modified weather conditions are more significant for ozone and PM than severe traffic emission reductions.
The press release by Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon can be found at: https://www.hereon.de/innovation_transfer/communication_media/news/102904/index.php.en
The role of emission reductions and the meteorological situation for air quality improvements during the COVID-19 lockdown period in central Europe
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 13931–13971, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-13931-2021, 2021
Contact: Volker Matthias (volker.matthias@hereon.de)
