Lockdowns Save People from Air Pollution: Evidence from Daily Global Tropospheric NO2 Satellite Data

Sunbin Yoo,Shunsuke Managi

doi:10.3390/su132111777

Abstract

Motivated by the global fear of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, we investigated whether lockdowns save people from air pollution, notably from Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2). Using daily satellite data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), we first found that the global NO2 tropospheric vertical column density (TVCD) decreased by 16.5% after the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) outbreak. Then, we calculated the global health benefits, as the monetized value of life, using the value of a statistical life (VSL). The total global health benefits were approximately 8.73 trillion USD, accounting for 10% of the global GDP; such benefits would be the largest in China, followed by the United States, Japan and Germany. Our results suggest that lockdowns may bring benefits to countries that policy interventions cannot easily bring, thus highlighting the importance of social distancing.

Highlights

With the fear of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has resulted in a tremendous number of deaths and infections around the world, countries have implemented lockdowns, including social distancing, school closures, and self-quarantine, which have halted economic activities
While substantial economic losses have resulted from these lockdowns, there has been a significant level of air quality improvement, including the reduction of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx = NO + NO2 )
Previous works show that either NOx, or NO2 pollution has decreased due to lockdowns in the time of COVID-19 [1] mention that the NOx emissions declined by 30% after the COVID19 outbreak [2] state that the NO2 tropospheric vertical column density (TVCD) decreased in China after the outbreak occurred [3] argue that there was a 48% decline in tropospheric NO2 around the 2020 Lunar

Summary

Introduction

With the fear of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, which has resulted in a tremendous number of deaths and infections around the world, countries have implemented lockdowns, including social distancing, school closures, and self-quarantine, which have halted economic activities. While substantial economic losses have resulted from these lockdowns, there has been a significant level of air quality improvement, including the reduction of Nitrogen Oxides (NOx = NO + NO2 ). Reduced NO2 pollution would decrease the number of people suffering from air-pollution-related diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, stroke, asthma, and respiratory diseases. Previous works show that either NOx, or NO2 pollution (either TVCD or emissions) has decreased due to lockdowns in the time of COVID-19 [1] mention that the NOx emissions declined by 30% after the COVID19 outbreak [2] state that the NO2 TVCD decreased in China after the outbreak occurred [3] argue that there was a 48% decline in tropospheric NO2 around the 2020 Lunar

Methods

Results

Conclusion