Air pollution in China back to pre-Covid levels and Europe may follow

Air pollution in China has climbed back to its pre-pandemic levels, with scientists warning that Europe may follow suit.

Lockdowns prompted by the coronavirus outbreak led to dramatic drops in dirty air across the world as traffic and some industry ground to a halt. Air pollution causes at least 8m early deaths a year and cleaner skies were seen as one of the few silver linings of Covid-19. Experts have called for action to help retain the air quality benefits of the lockdown, with some measures being taken such as expanding cycle lanes and space for walking in cities around the world.

There is also growing evidence linking exposure to dirty air with increased infections and deaths from Covid-19, prompting calls to keep air pollution low to help avoid the risk of a second peak.