The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) recently unveiled the most important findings of a recent research study, made possible thanks to a gift from VoLo Foundation.
The funds
With financial support from VoLo Foundation, Dr. Steven Barrett, professor and director of MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment (LAE), worked to quantify the impacts of anthropogenic emissions on air quality and to study the health implications associated with the contingency of a continued focus on environmental impacts.
The findings
According to a statement issued by MIT regarding this study, “Responses to the COVID-19 outbreak resulted in one of the largest short-term decreases in anthropogenic emissions in modern history.”
They clarify that, to date, there has been no comprehensive assessment of the impact of lockdowns on air quality and human health.
Dr. Barret’s team used global satellite observations and ground-based measurements from 36 countries in Europe, North America and East Asia.
They found that lockdowns triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic led to reductions in NO₂ concentrations globally, resulting in about 32,000 premature deaths avoided, including approximately 21,000 in China.
Other important findings in this regard are derived from the study. The MIT release can be read here.
In February 2022, the renowned scientific journal Science Advances published a research article entitled “Air pollution impacts of COVID-19-related containment measures”. The article reviews the study in question and can be read in full here.
The MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts (United States).
It is considered by numerous rankings as one of the best and most prestigious universities worldwide, holding for ten consecutive years the title of the best university in the world according to the QS World University Rankings.
