Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emissions of some atmospheric gases and global warming

Abstract

COVID-19 and its variants have become a nightmare. The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of human life. Therefore, this study will investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) gases, and their effect on global warming. Data are collected by international research laboratories and organizations, such as Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii. Samples from four 7-m towers and one 27-m tower have air intakes at the top from which Mauna Loa continuously collects air samples. Each hour, four air samples are taken in order to calculate the CO₂ content. The observed tropospheric NO₂ column concentration data were collected from satellite and surface air quality data from ground monitoring. The results indicated that global CO₂ emissions decreased by 8.8% in the first six months of 2020 compared to the same period in 2019. The mean NO₂ concentration throughout the Northern Hemisphere was 64 µmol m^-2 in 2019, but in 2020 it dropped to 52 µmol m^-2, a 19% decline. The UN report indicates that the global temperature has risen 1.5°C above the pre-industrial degree. It is a mandatory issue to reduce global warming and environmental pollution by reducing the emissions of gases, such as CO₂ and NO₂. The emissions must be reduced by 45% by 2030 and reach a degree of zero emissions in the industrial and transportation sectors by 2050.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, environment, CO₂ emission, NO₂ emission, climate change.