AFP, WASHINGTONNASA satellite images show a dramatic fall in pollution over China that is “partly related” to the economic slowdown due to a novel coronavirus outbreak, the US space agency said. The reduction in nitrogen dioxide pollution was first noticed near Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, but eventually spread across China, according to NASA scientists who examined data collected by their and European Space Agency satellites. Nitrogen dioxide is a byproduct of fossil fuel combustion in vehicles and power plants, and can cause respiratory problems, such as asthma. The 2008 global financial crisis saw a decrease in nitrogen dioxide over several countries, but it was a gradual fall, she said. Nitrogen dioxide concentrations over eastern and central China were 10 to 30 percent lower than what is normally observed over the time period.

Source: Taipei Times March 02, 2020 16:07 UTC