The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties

<div><p>COVID-19 has quickly spread throughout the world, infecting and killing millions of people. In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, many governments implemented stringent lockdown measures. These lockdown restrictions, coupled with social distancing, severely curtailed t...

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Main Author: James Poetzscher (19538080) (author)
Other Authors: Rima J. Isaifan (8350056) (author)
Published: 2021
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author James Poetzscher (19538080)
author2 Rima J. Isaifan (8350056)
author2_role author
author_facet James Poetzscher (19538080)
Rima J. Isaifan (8350056)
author_role author
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv James Poetzscher (19538080)
Rima J. Isaifan (8350056)
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2021-07-05T03:00:00Z
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv 10.1525/elementa.2021.00002
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_impact_of_COVID-19-induced_lockdowns_during_spring_2020_on_nitrogen_dioxide_levels_over_major_American_counties/26935450
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv CC BY 4.0
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Earth sciences
Atmospheric sciences
Engineering
Geomatic engineering
Nitrogen dioxide
Air quality
America
COVID-19
Transport
Counties
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv Text
Journal contribution
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
text
contribution to journal
description <div><p>COVID-19 has quickly spread throughout the world, infecting and killing millions of people. In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, many governments implemented stringent lockdown measures. These lockdown restrictions, coupled with social distancing, severely curtailed transportation and industrial activities, which are the primary drivers of nitrogen oxides emissions. This study investigates whether lockdown orders in the United States have impacted tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels by evaluating 12 major counties with a total population of 38 million. For each county, Sentinel-5P satellite data were obtained and analyzed to determine NO2 column concentrations during the pre-lockdown, peak lockdown, and loosening lockdown periods in 2020. Then, NO2 levels were compared during these three periods to the same time frame in 2019. Our results show that the lockdowns in the 12 major U.S. counties analyzed led to a significant decline in NO2 levels, with an average reduction of 28.7% (±14.6%) and 17.6% (±10.9%) during peak lockdown and loosening lockdown periods, respectively.</p><p> </p></div><h2>Other Information</h2> <p> Published in: Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene<br> License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00002" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00002</a></p>
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
id Manara2_e98c9a54121b822dd14e4bc357268462
identifier_str_mv 10.1525/elementa.2021.00002
network_acronym_str Manara2
network_name_str Manara2
oai_identifier_str oai:figshare.com:article/26935450
publishDate 2021
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rights_invalid_str_mv CC BY 4.0
spelling The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American countiesJames Poetzscher (19538080)Rima J. Isaifan (8350056)Earth sciencesAtmospheric sciencesEngineeringGeomatic engineeringNitrogen dioxideAir qualityAmericaCOVID-19TransportCounties<div><p>COVID-19 has quickly spread throughout the world, infecting and killing millions of people. In an effort to contain the spread of the virus, many governments implemented stringent lockdown measures. These lockdown restrictions, coupled with social distancing, severely curtailed transportation and industrial activities, which are the primary drivers of nitrogen oxides emissions. This study investigates whether lockdown orders in the United States have impacted tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels by evaluating 12 major counties with a total population of 38 million. For each county, Sentinel-5P satellite data were obtained and analyzed to determine NO2 column concentrations during the pre-lockdown, peak lockdown, and loosening lockdown periods in 2020. Then, NO2 levels were compared during these three periods to the same time frame in 2019. Our results show that the lockdowns in the 12 major U.S. counties analyzed led to a significant decline in NO2 levels, with an average reduction of 28.7% (±14.6%) and 17.6% (±10.9%) during peak lockdown and loosening lockdown periods, respectively.</p><p> </p></div><h2>Other Information</h2> <p> Published in: Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene<br> License: <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank">http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/</a><br>See article on publisher's website: <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00002" target="_blank">https://dx.doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2021.00002</a></p>2021-07-05T03:00:00ZTextJournal contributioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersiontextcontribution to journal10.1525/elementa.2021.00002https://figshare.com/articles/journal_contribution/The_impact_of_COVID-19-induced_lockdowns_during_spring_2020_on_nitrogen_dioxide_levels_over_major_American_counties/26935450CC BY 4.0info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:figshare.com:article/269354502021-07-05T03:00:00Z
spellingShingle The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
James Poetzscher (19538080)
Earth sciences
Atmospheric sciences
Engineering
Geomatic engineering
Nitrogen dioxide
Air quality
America
COVID-19
Transport
Counties
status_str publishedVersion
title The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
title_full The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
title_fullStr The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
title_full_unstemmed The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
title_short The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
title_sort The impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns during spring 2020 on nitrogen dioxide levels over major American counties
topic Earth sciences
Atmospheric sciences
Engineering
Geomatic engineering
Nitrogen dioxide
Air quality
America
COVID-19
Transport
Counties