Nitrogen Dioxide levels stay lower than before the Covid lockdown

Nitrogen Dioxide levels stay lower than before the Covid lockdown

22 August 2020

Nitrogen dioxide pollution in Cheltenham has remained at lower levels in June and July, despite traffic returning to pre-lockdown levels, after the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Measurements at 3 busy roads in Leckhampton and Warden Hill show that nitrogen dioxide pollution in June and July was about 29% lower than for the same two months in 2019.

These results are backed up by national data from 100 urban roadside locations, showing that nitrogen dioxide pollution nationally was down 30% in June – despite HGV traffic being back at 95% of normal levels, vans at 90% and cars at 75%.

Scientists think the small reduction in traffic that remains is enough to cut congestion on the roads and that this has an outsized impact in reducing dirty air. People may be staggering their commutes to work, which would also cut congestion, they said. Congestion ramps up emissions because vehicles are forced to repeatedly accelerate and brake, as well as sitting in one location in between. There’s more on this at this link.

Peter Frings, who runs the air quality monitoring programme in Leckhampton commented: “It goes to show that just small changes in how we travel can have a significant impact on air pollution. “

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