Short Communication
COVID-19 pandemic and environmental pollution: A blessing in disguise?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138820Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Half of the world population is under some form of lockdown due to COVID-19.

  • Environmental pollution is reduced up to 30%.

  • Mobility is reduced up to 90%.

Abstract

In late 2019, a novel infectious disease with human to human transmission (COVID-19) was identified in Wuhan China, which now has turned into a global pandemic. Countries all over the world have implemented some sort of lockdown to slow down its infection and mitigate it. Lockdown due to COVID-19 has drastic effects on social and economic fronts. However, this lockdown also has some positive effect on natural environment. Recent data released by NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) and ESA (European Space Agency) indicates that pollution in some of the epicenters of COVID-19 such as Wuhan, Italy, Spain and USA etc. has reduced up to 30%. This study compiled the environmental data released by NASA and ESA before and after the coronavirus pandemic and discusses its impact on environmental quality.

Keywords

COVID-19
Environmental pollution
NO2 emissions

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