As told “RG” Deputy Director of the Mosekomonitoring Elena lezina, cleansing the air contributed to the reduction of cars on the streets, and they are the main sources of emissions into the atmosphere of the metropolis. By the way, according to the Department of transport in the capital, traffic in April on the streets of the capital was equal to one score or less, and only after the may holidays grew to two points.
– during the regime of isolation of pollutant concentrations below those usually observed levels, and this trend has continued after the may holidays, when a number of enterprises were allowed to continue to work, – said Lesina. – And decrease the level of air pollution is celebrated not only near the highways, but in residential areas and areas of the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky administrative areas. The average reduction in concentration of pollutants is 1.5 times compared with the normal values for April-may. Although if close to highways concentration compared with normal levels were below 1.5 times the carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and particulates PM10, the nitrogen oxide reduction amounted to as much as 2.2 times. These data are quite comparable with the usual indicators of air pollution in residential neighborhoods. In the period of self-isolation in residential areas were recorded more clean air than the usual time in the New Moscow: the concentration of carbon monoxide decreased in 1.4 times, nitrogen dioxide – 1,8 times, sulfur dioxide – in 2.1 times, nitrogen oxide – by 2.2 times, suspended solids and PM10 – 1.6 times.
As noted lezina, purification of air is also influenced by weather conditions, and Muscovites were lucky that the weather contributed to the dispersion of harmful impurities. The “clean” days during the period of isolation began on 22 April and 10 may. These days in residential areas was not recorded exceedances of pollutants. Moreover, the automatic stations ‘ data indicate that a number of indicators values were generally lowest in the last few years. For example, close to highways maintenance in atmospheric air dioxide and nitrogen oxide in the period of holidays 2020 were put in place starting in 2016, and the concentration of carbon dioxide – over the last 10 years.
After the may holidays and the launch of a number of industries the situation has deteriorated in the area highways: concentrations of nitrogen oxide and sulfur dioxide emissions became comparable to the data of last year. But in residential neighborhoods, changes in monitoring stations do not record.
As noted by Elena lezina, short-term air purification should favorably affect the quality of soil and water. However, according to him, having seen the difference in air quality can be many Muscovites themselves will help reduce ��of Brasov into the atmosphere, for example, often leaving the car at home, or working remotely. She recalled that thanks to conservation activities capital’s air has become cleaner since 2010. This is due to the development of the transport system of the city, reorganization of industrial enterprises and other conservation activities.
