NO2 Air Pollution Linked with COVID Deaths

The Hill reports about a new study that has linked high levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) with deaths from COVID-19 in Europe. The study was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment.

The research used satellite measurements of NO2 in Europe, and then compared deaths in areas with high and low levels of NO2. The areas with the highest levels of NO2 had atmospheric conditions that prevented NO2 emissions from being dispersed.

They found that the 5 areas with the highest levels of NO2 (in Italy and Spain) had 78% of all deaths from COVID-19. Areas with more moderate levels of NO2 had 15.5% of all COVID-19 deaths, and areas with low levels of NO2 only had 1.5% of all COVID-19 deaths.

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