19 May 2020

Coronavirus: Air pollution dropped by a third nationwide during lockdown

From Morning Report, 7:46 am on 19 May 2020

If you thought the air was a little cleaner during lockdown, you're wrong.

It was a whole lot cleaner.

Niwa scientists estimate that pollution was down by three-quarters on average across the country, but in Auckland at least a third of the city reduced their exposure to traffic pollution by 90 percent during lockdown.

Dr Ian Longley is NIWA's air quality scientist