COVID-19 lockdown implications for air quality in Australia and New Zealand

The two talks will be presented by Dr Ian Longley, Principal Air Quality Scientist at NIWA and Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis, Professor of Global Environmental Health at the College of Health and Medicine, the Australian National University.

COVID-10 lockdown implications for air quality, climate change and public health

In this talk, Professor Sotiris Vardoulakis will discuss the following:

• Impact of lockdowns on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Is exposure to air pollutions making us more susceptible to COVID-19?
• What might be the long-term effects on air quality and health?

How has lockdown impacted emissions, air quality, exposure, health and attitudes in New Zealand?

In this talk, Dr Ian Longley will discuss the following:

• Impact on roadside NOx and NO2 and correlation with traffic volumes.
• Impact on PM2.5 and PM10.
• Is there evidence of additional wood-smoke emissions?
• First estimates of impacts on human exposure.
• What health gains might we expect?
• What does it all mean? How the media and public responded.