China's Pollution Levels After Coronavirus Outbreak

China's air pollutant levels dropped in February as a result of measures taken by the nation's government to reduce the risk of spreading coronavirus, the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service confirmed on Wednesday.

“The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) observed a decrease of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for February relative to the previous three years,” said the CAMS in a report. It said PM2.5 was one of the “most important air pollutants regarding health impacts,” according to the World Health Organization.

Analysis by the CAMS showed a reduction of approximately 20-30% in air pollutants over large parts of China in February compared with monthly averages in February 2017, 2018 and 2019.