It can Images over Wuhan showing the pollutant numbers dropping but not rebounding.NASA scientists say the drop was initially most visible over Wuhan, where the outbreak began. PM2.5 is caused by the burning of fossil fuels and other industrial processes and is associated with a range of health problems, including respiratory disease and cancer.

The smog-prone Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as a whole jumped 5.9% to 36 micrograms. (CNN)Satellite images released by NASA and the European Space Agency reveal that air pollution over China has gone down since the coronavirus outbreak. China’s coronavirus lockdown likely saved tens of thousands of lives by slashing air pollution from factories and vehicles, according to a new analysis by a Stanford University scientist. Weather and other conditions play a role here too.” Reporting by David Stanway and Muyu Xu; Editing by Robert BirselFILE PHOTO: A man wearing a mask walks in the central business district on a polluted day after a yellow alert was issued for smog, in Beijing, China November 14, 2018. China’s national standard is 35 micrograms, though the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends levels of no more than 10. "This is the first time I have seen such a dramatic drop-off over such a wide area for a specific event," said Fei Liu, an air quality researcher at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Pollution does tend to go down around the Lunar New Year as many businesses close for celebrations, however, researchers believe this decrease is more than just a holiday or weather-related effect. Average PM2.5 stood at 33 micrograms per cubic metre over the seven months, according to data collected from monitoring stations in more than 300 cities, the Ministry of Ecology and Environment said. The capital, Beijing, saw average PM2.5 rise 10.8% to 41 micrograms. In an analysis published in February, CarbonBrief estimated that the coronavirus had cut China's carbon emissions by 25%. The European Space Agency released new video this weekend that shows air pollution vanishing over China as the country goes into COVID-19 coronavirus lockdown, then returning as business resumes. SHANGHAI/BEIJING (Reuters) - China saw average concentrations of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5 fall by 10.8% from January to July as industry slowed because of the coronavirus, data showed on Friday, though levels were still well above WHO recommendations. Production in many factories has been halted and transportation has been restricted to prevent spreading the virus. The environment ministry said the improvement in air quality throughout the country in February and March was “incomparable” after the government imposed lockdowns to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, which cut industrial activity and traffic. But environmental groups have warned that China might turn a blind eye to industrial polluters and rely on energy-intensive processes to try to reverse the economic impact of the pandemic in the second half of the year.

Satellite images from NASA show a surprising effect of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in China: less air pollution. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds.The satellite images have detected a significant decreases in nitrogen dioxide over China. “Industrial outputs are coming back to pre-COVID levels,” said Li. China is by far the most impacted by the coronavirus …

Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Nitrogen dioxide is a yellow-brown gas emitted by motor vehicles, power plants, and industrial facilities. “We need to see if July represents the beginning of a larger trend.” In July, average PM2.5 levels fell 5%, but some regions saw a rebound. A diagram of the arrangement of a restaurant’s tables and air conditioning airflow at site of an outbreak of coronavirus in Guangzhou, China. "This year, the reduction rate is more significant than in past years and it has lasted longer," Liu said.

“Sometimes air quality would correspond with that, sometimes not. REUTERS/Jason Lee/File Photo In mainland China, From January 1 to 20 the images show higher levels of nitrogen dioxide over China, but from February 10 to 25, traces of the gas are hardly visible. China saw average concentrations of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5 fall by 10.8% from January to July as industry slowed because of the coronavirus, data showed on … “There was a temporary pollution increase in April but it quickly went down in May,” said Li Shuo, senior energy and climate analyst with Greenpeace.