Lockdown measures and air quality: evidence from Italian provinces.

The aim of this short communication is to estimate the effects of the implementation of more restrictive lockdown measures on pollution levels in Italy. Using a time series of weekly concentrations of PM₁₀, PM_2.5 and NO₂ for the period 2016–2020 across 71 provinces, we find that the introduction of lockdown measures reduced the air concentration levels of PM₁₀ and NO₂ by 17–18%, while their effect on PM_2.5 remains unclear. These results indicate that the lockdown had a significant positive impact in terms of lives saved and improved air quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]