Air pollution in Madrid and across major European cities drops staggering amounts due to coronavirus

AIR pollution in Madrid and across major European cities has dropped dramatically due to coronavirus.

Satellite images from the European Space Agency Copernicus Sentinel-5P have revealed the extent of the drop of nitrogen dioxide.

Scientists from the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute have been keeping an eye on pollution levels across Europe using this satellite data, comparing March and April this year, with the same months last year.

Madrid experienced a 48% drop in nitrogen dioxide levels.

This comes after Greenpeace announced that the Spanish capital had experienced a 73% NO2 drop at the end of March.

Other European cities such as Milan, Rome and Paris all experienced similar drops, with the Italian capital at 49%, while the French one had the highest drop at 54%.

These drops directly coincide with the lockdown measures that were imposed throughout Europe in March, in order to combat the spread of COVID-19.

Nitrogen dioxide is a chemical produced from power plants, vehicles and industrial activity and can be harmful to human health, especially to people with breathing problems.

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