This article is over two days old and may contain outdated advice from the authorities regarding the koronasmitten.
Keep yourself updated in The overview, or through the FHIs website.
Luftforurensingen in the Spanish capital Madrid was 56 per cent lower in the period 16.-22. march, compared with the week before.
The figures from The european miljødirektoratet (EEA).
Measurements is not about CO₂-emissions, but so-called NOx-gases. NOx is responsible for smog and the typical brown cloud covering larger cities and poor air quality.
According to The report from the 2019 causes the air pollution to some 400,000 early deaths in Europe each year.
The european romfartsinstituttet the AUTHORITY has published satellite images showing the dramatic decline.
Map from the AUTHORITY that shows the concentration of NOx gases in Spain
the European Space Agency (ESA) Decline over the whole of Europe
While Madrid have had the largest decrease in NOx-emissions, the numbers are great for a number of major cities.
In Barcelona went luftforurensingen down by 40 per cent in a week. Compared with the same period last year, a decrease of 55 per cent. In the Portuguese capital Lisbon was the NOx level is 51 per cent lower in week 12, compared with the same week last year. In Milan and the NOx level in the last four weeks have been at least 24 per cent lower than in the previous four weeks. In Denmark enrolled Miljøstyrelsen last Thursday that luftforurensingen had gone down by 40 per cent in the four largest Danish cities. It comes to Copenhagen, Aarhus, Odense and Aalborg.
As elsewhere in Europe due to the decrease in mainly due to reduced road traffic.
Read also: Korona creates less pollution – can save 100 000 lives
the Concentration of NOx gases in Italy
the European Space Agency (ESA) Less road dust
the Head of department for air and noise at the Norwegian institute of public health (FHI), Johan Øvrevik, says that it is unclear the extent to which we have the reduction in air pollution in Norwegian cities.
He assumes that the measures here in the country leading to reduced air pollution. The reduced car traffic, for example, result in significantly less disturbing road dust.
– A group of asthmatics who normally will respond that there are high concentrations of particulate matter in spring may perhaps experience that there is less of this, and that they receive less respiratory problems, ” says Øvrevik to NRK.
Greater risk for koronasmittede
Head of department, Johan Øvrevik at the Norwegian institute of public health
Photo: Private
the Association of private public health organizations in Europe, EPHA, said to Reuters that the people who live in polluted cities may be more susceptible to serious illness if they become infected by the koronaviruset.
Zoltan Massay-Kosubek in the EPHA believes that long-term exposure to bad air can weaken the immune system.
– The context is very likely, But because the disease is new, it is not proven yet, ” says Massay-Kosubek.
the Concentration of NOx gases in France
the European Space Agency (ESA) doesn’t Think it helps koronasmittede
Øvrevik in FHI says that probably the health benefit of reduced air pollution to be of limited importance in the longer term.
So far one knows only that the air quality has been markedly better in a few weeks.
First, if the event of a reduction in air pollution continues throughout the year and beyond next winter, it may have an importance for the health also in Norway.
– We have little knowledge about what such short-term reductions in exposure over weeks and months means for your health, but guess it is more important first and foremost is of importance for helseplage and improvement of symptoms from existing diseases, says Øvrevik.
Nevertheless, it is of little comfort in the relationship when it comes to the ongoing pandemic.
It will probably unfortunately be marginal in relation to the negative consequences of a persistent koronaviruspandemi, ” says Johan Øvrevik.
Sign up to the newsletter from the Norwegian broadcasting corporation Foreign More about koronaviruset StatusRåd and infoSiste nyttSpør NRK
