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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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FACT BRIEF

Did pollution decrease during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown?

By Lisa Freedland
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YES

In a majority of countries, pollution decreased during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

A study published in PNAS in August 2020 found that "lockdown events have reduced the population-weighted concentration of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter levels by about 60% and 31% in 34 countries." Authors attributed the drop to "unprecedented reductions in economic activity" such as the decrease in cars on the road. The study controlled for meteorological variations.

A separate report by IQAir found that 84% of the 106 nations supplying pollutant data experienced lower levels of PM 2.5 in 2020 relative to 2019 due to lockdown measures.

NASA's computer models of 2020 pollutant levels absent the pandemic indicated that the lockdown "reduced global nitrogen dioxide concentrations by nearly 20%."

Adding nuance, a January 2021 study published in Science Advances suggested that while pollution did decline, the amount was lower than expected.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences COVID-19 lockdowns cause global air pollution declines
IQAir 2020 World Air Quality Report overview
NASA Model Shows Extent COVID-related Pollution Levels Deviated from Norm
Science Abrupt but smaller than expected changes in surface air quality attributable to COVID-19 lockdowns
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Gigafact
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
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About fact briefs published on Gigafact
Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.