NOx Emissions Reduction and Rebound in China Due to the COVID-19 Crisis

NOx Emissions Reduction and Rebound in China Due to the COVID-19 Crisis

Ding, J. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
van der A, R.J. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI); Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China)
Eskes, H.J. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Mijling, B. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Stavrakou, T. (Royal Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy (BIRA-IASB))
van Geffen, J. H.G.M. (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI))
Veefkind, j. Pepijn (TU Delft Atmospheric Remote Sensing)

2020

During the COVID-19 lockdown (24 January–20 March) in China low air pollution levels were reported in the media as a consequence of reduced economic and social activities. Quantification of the pollution reduction is not straightforward due to effects of transport, meteorology, and chemistry. We have analyzed the NO_x emission reductions calculated with an inverse algorithm applied to daily NO₂ observations from TROPOMI onboard the Copernicus Sentinel-5P satellite. This method allows the quantification of emission reductions per city and the analysis of emissions of maritime transport and of the energy sector separately. The reductions we found are 20–50% for cities, about 40% for power plants, and 15–40% for maritime transport depending on the region. The reduction in both emissions and concentrations shows a similar timeline consisting of a sharp reduction (34–50%) around the Spring festival and a slow recovery from mid-February to mid-March.

China
COVID-19
NOx emissions
TROPOMI

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:d073f8b7-024d-4fee-8656-36f5b4fc6c72

https://doi.org/10.1029/2020GL089912

0094-8276

Geophysical Research Letters, 47 (19), 1-9

Institutional Repository

journal article

© 2020 J. Ding, R.J. van der A, H.J. Eskes, B. Mijling, T. Stavrakou, J. H.G.M. van Geffen, j. Pepijn Veefkind