Nitrogen dioxide exacerbates mortality from COVID-19. Free Technical Library News

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Nitrogen Dioxide Exacerbates COVID-19 Mortality

22.04.2020

Nitrogen dioxide air pollution is associated with high mortality from COVID-19. This conclusion was made by scientists from Martin Luther University in Halle-Wittenberg.

Nitrogen dioxide (N02) is an air pollutant that damages the human respiratory tract. It is emitted into the atmosphere as a result of human activities. When carbon dioxide comes into contact with the moist surface of the lungs, nitric and nitrous acids are formed, which irritate the mucous membranes and affect the alveolar tissue of the lungs. At high concentrations of nitrogen oxides (0,004 - 0,008%), asthmatic manifestations and pulmonary edema occur.

In the new study, scientists used data on regional levels of nitrogen dioxide pollution measured by the European Space Agency's (ESA) Sentinel 5P satellite. The scientists then combined this information with data from the American weather agency NOAAo on vertical air currents.

Based on these data, the researchers identified several of the most NO02-polluted sites with low air mass movement, and then compared data on the outbreak of COVID-19 in Italy, France, Spain and Germany.

The work showed that regions with a high number of deaths also have particularly high levels of nitrogen dioxide and a particularly low level of vertical air exchange.

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