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Analysis of the COVID-19 Lockdown’s Impact on Air Quality in the Larger Cities of Spain

descriptionPublicationkeyboard_double_arrow_right Article 06 May 2022 Spain Publisher:MDPI AGJournal:Sustainability, volume 14, page 5,613 (eissn: 2071-1050,

Authors: Lorenzo-Sáez, Edgar; Coll-Aliaga, Eloína; Oliver Villanueva, José Vicente; Prieto del Campo, Fernando; LERMA ARCE, VICTORIA;

doi: 10.3390/su14095613

handle: 10251/194002

Analysis of the COVID-19 Lockdown’s Impact on Air Quality in the Larger Cities of Spain

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Abstract

During the period of the COVID-19 pandemic, the air quality reached the best levels to be recorded in large cities in Spain. To analyze and demonstrate this improvement in air quality levels, the evolution of the average nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels in 78 Spanish cities with more than 50,000 inhabitants during the pre-COVID-19 years (2017–2019), the period of the COVID-19 lockdown, and the post-COVID-19 year (2021) was analyzed. The results show an improvement in the air quality in most of the cities analyzed for 2020 due to the COVID-19 restrictions. In addition, in 2021, without the COVID-19 restrictions, the air quality levels of the largest cities in Spain showed important improvements in terms of NO2 concentration compared to the levels in the pre-COVID-19 years (2017–2019). Nevertheless, in 2021, only 11 cities were below the average annual limit of 10 µg/m3 NO2 established by the World Health Organization (WHO). In addition, no cities with more than 500,000 inhabitants achieved NO2 levels below the WHO limit. Finally, a detailed monthly analysis indicated that the pre-COVID-19 levels were reached again during the last months of the monitored period.

Country

Spain

Related Organizations

Universitat Politècnica de València
Spain

Keywords

Air quality monitoring, Environmental effects of industries and plants, air pollution, Air pollution, TJ807-830, air quality monitoring, COVID-19 impact, TD194-195, NO2, Renewable energy sources, Environmental sciences, NO<sub>2</sub>, urban air quality, INGENIERIA CARTOGRAFICA, GEODESIA Y FOTOGRAMETRIA, INGENIERIA AGROFORESTAL, GE1-350, Urban air quality, PROYECTOS DE INGENIERIA

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	citations This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).	5
	popularity This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.	Top 10%
	influence This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).	Average
	impulse This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.	Top 10%