Joanne Oakley
POLLUTION levels across Spain, including the Costa del Sol have plummeted thanks to the coronavirus.
Cities have seen drops of up to 83% as traffic and industry abates.
Barcelona has seen the biggest drop in Nitrogen Oxide (NO2) levels with 83%, Madrid had a 73% drop and Valencia followed with 64%.
Other cities have also seen huge decreases in pollution, such as Castellon 76%, Alicante 68%, Bilbao 66%, Malaga, 55%, Zaragoza, 52% and Sevilla, 36%.
According to Greenpeace, the amount of NO2 currently being emitted in Spain is under half of the levels permitted by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
It is the first time since the regulations came into force in 2010, that Madrid has not breached the designated levels.
In Barcelona the accumulation of NO2 halved after just three days.
The majority of the drop has been from a 60% reduction of traffic on the roads of Madrid and Barcelona, while in Andalucia, around an 80% drop has been seen.
An added halt in human activity and consumption, plus a reduction in industrial production is all helping to create cleaner air and clearer waters.
“The extraordinary situation will reduce the thousands of deaths that poor air quality causes each year,” said Adrian Fernandez, head of the Greenpeace mobility campaign.
An estimated 4.5 million people die each year from coal, oil and gas pollution around the globe.
