Lockdown Measures and Air Quality: Evidence from Italian Provinces

Abstract

The aim of this short communication is to estimate the effects of the implementation of more restrictive lockdown measures on pollution levels in Italy. Using a time series of weekly concentrations of PM 10 , PM 2.5 and NO 2 for the period 2016–2020 across 71 provinces, we find that the introduction of lockdown measures reduced the air concentration levels of PM 10 and NO 2 by 17–18%, while their effect on PM 2.5 remains unclear. These results indicate that the lockdown yielded a double dividend in terms of lives saved and improved air quality.

Keywords: COVID-19, air quality, particulate matter, pandemics, pollution

JEL Classification: I18, Q53