COVID-19 sees dramatic falls in urban air pollution in Spain

A new report has highlighted a sharp decline in urban air pollution across Spain following the introduction of lockdown measures in response to COVID-19.

The report, from environmental group Ecologistas en Acción (Environmentalists in Action), shows large improvements in urban air quality in the time since Spain introduced restrictions on travel to limit the spread of coronavirus. Air quality is now well below legal limits and WHO recommended limits.

Since travel restrictions came into place in mid-March following a state of alert, levels of traffic have fallen dramatically across Spain, leading to reductions in pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide in the country's main cities.

The report stresses however that whilst reductions in air pollution is positive, this is by no means a good position to be in, given the serious and widespread negative ramifications of COVID-19.

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