A significant portion of the global workforce worked remotely in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in sharp declines (in some cases, 50 percent) in air pollution around the globe. 

As companies debate whether to allow workers continuing working remotely, come into the office or have a hybrid work week, workers that telecommute four days a week could cut nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels by as much as 10 percent, a new study finds.

Researchers at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) looked at three different scenarios — telecommuting two, three or four days a week — and found that NO2 levels would decline by 4 percent, 8 percent and 10 percent, respectively. 

Workers that telecommute four days a week could cut NO2 levels by 10%, a new study finds

Workers that telecommute four days a week could cut NO2 levels by 10%, a new study finds

Workers that telecommute four days a week could cut NO2 levels by 10%, a new study finds

If 40 percent of service-sector employees telecommuted four days a week, not only would NO2 levels decline 10 percent, but traffic emissions would decline 15 percent a well.

Additionally, the length of trips that the remaining workers take to get to their jobs would decline by 37.5 percent.

In the other two scenarios — (two days for 20 percent of the workforce and three days for 30 percent)— traffic emissions would decline by 5 percent and 10 percent, respectively.

The length of work-related travel would also decline by rates of 12.5 percent and 25 percent, respectively.

The researchers based their findings on mobility and air quality data obtained in Barcelona during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

The researchers based their findings on mobility and air quality data obtained in Barcelona during the COVID-19 lockdown

The researchers based their findings on mobility and air quality data obtained in Barcelona during the COVID-19 lockdown

The researchers based their findings on mobility and air quality data obtained in Barcelona during the COVID-19 lockdown

‘We propose that teleworking be prioritized and promoted as an effective contribution towards reduction of long-term urban air pollution and short-term pollution peaks,’ the study’s authors wrote.   

The research, done in conjunction with urban mobility planning company Anthesis Lavola, was based on mobility reports from the Barcelona Metropolitan Transport Authority. 

Nearly 85 percent of Barcelona’s work force have service-sector jobs and 40 percent of all vehicles being driven are done for work purposes.

Henceforth, a significant push to telecommute a portion of the work week could have wide-ranging implications on changes in pollution and an improvement to air quality.

Barcelona has an estimated workforce population of approximately 1.1 million, according to the World Cities Culture Forum

The researchers also saw significant percentage levels of NO2 concentration between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical morning commute from Monday through Friday.

The researchers also saw significant percentage levels of NO2 concentration between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical morning commute from Monday through Friday

The researchers also saw significant percentage levels of NO2 concentration between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical morning commute from Monday through Friday

 The researchers also saw significant percentage levels of NO2 concentration between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical morning commute from Monday through Friday

There was also a significant decline in NO2 levels between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical evening commute from Monday through Friday. 

There was also a significant decline in NO2 levels between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical evening commute from Monday through Friday

There was also a significant decline in NO2 levels between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical evening commute from Monday through Friday

There was also a significant decline in NO2 levels between the base case and the three scenarios during the typical evening commute from Monday through Friday

The study found that NO2 levels would decline 4% and 8% if workers telecommuted two or three days a week. If 40% of service-sector employees telecommuted four days a week, traffic emissions would decline 15% and trip length would decline 37.5%

The study found that NO2 levels would decline 4% and 8% if workers telecommuted two or three days a week. If 40% of service-sector employees telecommuted four days a week, traffic emissions would decline 15% and trip length would decline 37.5%

The study found that NO2 levels would decline 4% and 8% if workers telecommuted two or three days a week. If 40% of service-sector employees telecommuted four days a week, traffic emissions would decline 15% and trip length would decline 37.5%

The researchers also found that online education would cut private vehicle by 20 percent and shopping would be cut by 30 percent.

‘The application of this [third] scenario could be viable and realistic during periods of high pollution, as it is simply based on the maximization of teleworking and the reduction of other work-related travel and shopping,’ ICTA-UAB researcher and the study’s lead author, Alba Badia, said in a statement.

The research was recently published in Urban Sustainability

The findings come several months after the U.K. government found that air pollution was at its lowest levels since records began, as NO2 and particulate matter dropped to all-time low levels. 

In June, a study from NASA found that levels of nitrogen oxides decreased globally by 15 percent from June 2020.  

WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE WORLD’S MAJOR AIR POLLUTANTS?

According to the Environmental protection Agency, there are six major pollutants which can impact on human health and well-being. 

Particulate matter: Particulate matter is the term for a mixture of solid particles and liquid droplets found in the air.

These particles come in many sizes and shapes and can be made up of hundreds of different chemicals.

Some are emitted directly from a source, such as construction sites, unpaved roads, fields, smokestacks or fires.

Fine particles (2.5 parts per million)are the main cause of reduced visibility (haze) in parts of the United States, including many of our treasured national parks and wilderness areas. 

Carbon monoxide: Breathing air with a high concentration of CO reduces the amount of oxygen that can be transported in the blood stream to critical organs like the heart and brain.

At very high levels, which are possible indoors or in other enclosed environments, CO can cause dizziness, confusion, unconsciousness and death.  

Nitrogen dioxide: Nitrogen dioxide primarily gets in the air from the burning of fuel. NO

It forms from emissions from cars, trucks and buses, power plants, and off-road equipment.

Breathing air with a high concentration of NO can irritate airways in the human respiratory system. Such exposures over short periods can aggravate respiratory diseases, particularly asthma, leading to respiratory symptoms (such as coughing, wheezing or difficulty breathing).   

Sulfur dioxide: The largest source of Sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere is the burning of fossil fuels by power plants and other industrial facilities.

Short-term exposures to SO can harm the human respiratory system and make breathing difficult. Children, the elderly, and those who suffer from asthma are particularly sensitive to effects of SO.

Ground-level Ozone: The ozone layer in the lower area of the lower portion of the stratosphere, approximately 12 to 19 miles above the surface of the planet (20 to 30 km). 

Although ozone protects us against UV radiation, when it is found at ground level it can cause health problems for vulnerable people who suffer from lung diseases such as asthma. 

It is created by chemical reactions between oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOC) – that are found in exhaust fumes – in the presence of sunlight.

Lead: Major sources of lead in the air are ore and metals processing and piston-engine aircraft operating on leaded aviation fuel. 

Other sources are waste incinerators, utilities, and lead-acid battery manufacturers. The highest air concentrations of lead are usually found near lead smelters.

 Depending on the level of exposure, lead can adversely affect the nervous system, kidney function, immune system, reproductive and developmental systems and the cardiovascular system.

Infants and young children are especially sensitive to even low levels of lead, which may contribute to behavioural problems, learning deficits and lowered IQ.

Source: EPA 

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