Jersey's air quality improved in lockdown, report finds
BBCJersey's air quality improved in lockdown, a report on behalf of the Government of Jersey has found.
The annual mean for 2020 was 13.6% lower than the annual mean recorded for 2019.
Deputy John Young said the report showed "changing our reliance on using petrol and diesel vehicles can further improve the air we breathe".
A central monitoring station and 17 sites around the island monitored levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2).
Outside of lockdown, the highest levels of NO2 were consistently recorded at the time of the morning rush hour, between 07:00 and 08:00, the report by Ricardo Energy said.
The annual mean concentrations of NO2 did not exceed the European Commission limit at any of the sites.
Mr Young, Minister for the Environment, said: "The island continues to be a place where we experience overall good levels of air quality. But the lockdown from late March 2020 shows us, as evidenced in this report, how changing our reliance on using petrol and diesel vehicles can further improve the air we breathe," he said.
Five further locations were monitored for hydrocarbons (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes).
Overall, hydrocarbons showed a decrease compared with 2019.
It is the 24th consecutive year in which the annual monitoring programme has been carried out, analysing pollutant concentrations in the island.
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