- Analysed station:
| MM-2 (latitude: 47.65 , longitude: 23.57 , altitude: 223.00) |
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- Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) Analysis:
At the beginning of 2020, the NO2 emissions were dropping, reaching significantly lower levels than those registered in 2019. On March 16th, with the institution of the two months long nationwide state of emergency (16th of March – 14th May), human activities in Maramures were mainly interrupted, leading to further decrease in NO2 emission levels, following 2019’s trend, maintaining fairly lower values. Soon after the state of emergency was lifted, a slight increase in emission levels took place, rising above the values recorded one year prior on many occasions. At the end of 2020, NO2 emissions went up by a fair amount, though they were maintained considerably lower than those that marked 2019.
- Carbon Monoxide (CO) Analysis:
At the beginning of 2020, the CO values recorded by the MM-2 station reached a worryingly high level of approximately 2.25 mg/cubic meters, almost 2 times higher than those recorded in 2019. In the following months, emission levels were kept underneath 2019’s values, maintaining a significantly low trend as the pandemic progressed, rising fairly at the very end of 2020.
- Sulfur Dioxide (SO2) Analysis:
At the beginning of 2020, recorded SO2 emissions were lower than the previous year’s values, with several significant spikes in February. In the aftermath of the institution of the state of emergency, in March, emission levels dropped slightly, still being above the values recorded in 2019 throughout most of the year, meeting a decrease at its end.
- Conclusion:
In conformity with the data provided by the MM-2 station, located in Baia Mare, there is a significant difference between the values recorded in 2019 and 2020, with the latter overlapping with a less harmful time period for the environment. This is clearly the effect of pandemic control measures, such as the nationwide state of emergency, instituted between March 6th and May 14th, and regional lockdowns. All in all, 2020’s unfortunate events had a positive impact on the air quality in the Maramures county’s area, which had become a pressing countrywide issue.