NASA: Air pollution in Northeast drops 30 percent due to COVID-19 pandemic

Posted: Apr 10, 2020 / 09:24 PM EDT / Updated: Apr 10, 2020 / 09:25 PM EDT

A thick layer of smog covers central Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, Jan. 20, 2020. Thick haze blanketed the Thai capital on Monday sending air pollution levels soaring to 89 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 particles in some areas, according to the Pollution Control Department. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

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(WSYR-TV) — Air quality in the Northeast has made a dramatic improvement in recent weeks.

Satellite data from NASA shows a 30 percent drop in air pollution over the major Metropolitan Northeastern cities.

Other parts of the world have seen similar reductions.

The air quality improvement coincides with lockdowns and shelter-in-place orders due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

That means fewer cars are on the roads, thus cutting down on emissions.