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ENVIROMENT

This article shows that the lockdown has induced numerous positive impacts on the environment and on energy consumption.


Air pollution quality

Air pollutants such as NO2, SO2, O3, CO, and particulate matter pose serious health risks. The WHO estimates that 7 million people die from air pollution each year, more than half these deaths being due to ambient in air pollution. Long-standing exposure to fine PM with a diameter lower than 2.5 µm, and O3, is estimated to cause around 8.8 million deaths every year  Exposure to NO2 alone results in 4 million new pediatric asthma cases annually 

A major and immediate positive effect of COVID-19 lockdown has been the substantial reduction in air pollution worldwide, notably in major industrialized countries. The closure of factories and transportation networks, the largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the United States, resulted in a 5–10% decrease in air pollutants, including CO2. China's heavy industrial zones also showed a 40% reduction in NO2 concentrations after the lockdown in Wuhan 



Surface water quality and wastewater surveillance

The COVID-19 pandemic has had beneficiary consequences on surface water quality in some regions as lockdown has improved the water quality of some rivers, canals, and seas. One of the positive impacts of COVID-19  according to satellite images is that Venice’s canals became clearer after one month of lockdown. Niroumand-Jadidi et al. reported an almost 50% reduction in the total suspended matter (TSM) after lockdown using shallow-water inversion via Planet Scope imagery. Before the COVID-19 periods, the concentration of TSM was 3 g/m3 on average; however, it was reduced to 1.4 g/m3 during the COVID-19 lockdown. Because of a reduction in boat traffic, sediments have settled resulting in a reduction in turbidity. Banning tourists during lockdown has also reduced water pollutants released by tourists. This clearer water has enabled other creatures such as fish, dolphins, and swans to come back to these canals and waterways. Beaches, including Acapulco (Mexico), Barcelona (Spain), and Salinas (Ecuador) have had crystal clear waters since the reduction in tourists.











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