Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much
Source: NPR
Traffic has fallen off dramatically as the “Shelter-in place” directive has reduced the need to commute to work. The results? The air is clearer, especially in places like LA and NYC.
Despite traffic reductions of more than 40%, ground-level ozone (smog), is nearly unchanged. Passenger cars are much cleaner these days, but it is those trucks and buses that are making all those deliveries that have very lax pollution controls. The result: They are now the biggest producers of nitrogen oxides, which forms ozone.
There is a substantial analysis of why ozone has barely decreased:
“NPR analyzed more than half a million air pollution measurements reported to the EPA from more than 900 air monitoring sites around the country. We compared the median ozone levels detected this spring with levels found during the comparable period over the past five years.
Our analysis revealed that, in the vast majority of places, ozone pollution decreased by 15% or less, a clear indication that improving air quality will take much more than cleaning up tailpipes of passenger cars.”
Check out the entire piece.
Source:
Traffic Is Way Down Because Of Lockdown, But Air Pollution? Not So Much
NPR, May 19, 2020
REBECCA HERSHER HUO JINGNAN ROBERT BENINCASA
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/19/854760999/traffic-is-way-down-due-to-lockdowns-but-air-pollution-not-so-much
