The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we live and participate in society. There are many ways to avoid the flu. Wearing a mask, staying home from work and school, or just keeping your distance can help you stay healthy this winter. One way is by following social distancing orders such as follow-at-home mandates which removes human contact altogether except with family members in the household. With an internet connection, you can easily play any online casino Malaysia just from the comfort of your home. It can help you stay home more to avoid close contact with others and protect the environment during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown. Staying home during the Covid-19 pandemic may make you feel like a hermit, but if you’ve had the chance to poke your head outside of your house and into nature, then there are some positives that might have caught your eye. Here, we have discussed some environmental benefits of staying home during COVID-19-induced lockdown.
Reduction of Air Pollution
The lockdown imposed in 89 countries all around the globe has not only restricted economic activity but it also affected air pollution. With so many people being effect by this, blue skies are becoming visible for some of these residents and they haven’t seen them before due to how bad the toxic levels have been. Satellite data showed that nitrogen dioxide concentration was significantly reduced during the same time period as when most places were on lock down because there wasn’t any industry running which caused a significant reduction in NO2 concentrations globally.
- India: In 2020, all Indian cities monitored observed air quality improvements compared to 2018, while 63% saw improvements compared with 2019. However, India continues to feature prominently at the top of the most polluted cities ranking, with 22 of the top 30 most polluted cities globally.
- The air quality in China has improved, but they still have a long way to go before meeting the WHO’s annual guidelines. The most polluted city is Hotan which sees sandstorms worsened by climate change that create PM2.5 levels more than 3 times above the suggested limit of what people should be exposed too per year and poses high risk factors for inhabitants’ health due to exacerbated particles such as lead, nickel and dimethylethers (DME).
- COVID-19 has spread so rapidly that the United States now comprises 77 of the world’s top 100 most polluted cities. Despite attempts to contain this pandemic, particle pollution levels in American cities increased by 6.7 percent last year—a truly alarming statistic considering record-breaking wildfires continue to ravage our country and are projected only worsen with global warming continuing unabated that 38% of U.S.cities do not meet WHO guidelines for PM2.5 annual levels.
Reduction of noise pollution
Noise pollution is a growing problem in many urban areas, but the extent to which it affects wildlife and people has been unclear. A new study investigated whether reduced human activity due to COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns would lead sound levels in protected areas compared with non-pandemic times by testing this hypothesis. They found that there was less noise during these periods than before or after them; reducing our environmental impact could help protect both humans and animals from hazardous sounds. At all time periods, sound levels were highest near major roads and demonstrated a logarithmic decrease further from roads. At the two protected areas closest to the city center, sound levels averaged 1–3 dB lower during the time of the pandemic lockdown. In contrast, at the third protected area, which is transected by a major highway, sound levels were 4–6 dB higher during the time of the pandemic, likely because reduced traffic allowed vehicles to travel faster and create more noise.
Reduction of water pollution
The quality of water has improved during the lockdown with the Movement Control Order (MCO) due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The lockdown has brought about a decrease or complete stop on the pollutant discharge affecting the aquatic ecosystem. The pollutants include heavy metals, wastewater, crude oil, and plastic, among others.
Vembanad Lake, which is the longest freshwater lake in India, has seen considerable improvement in the suspended particulate matter (Yunus et al. 2020). In this study, it was observed that an average of 15.9% reduced the concentration of suspended particulate matter (SPM) during the lockdown period compared to the pre-lockdown time. The SPM concentration dropped by 34% in April 2020, compared to longer-term measurements over the previous years.
Yamuna, it is another major Indian river that is much polluted. This river is crucial to the daily life of the population dwelling on the banks and surrounding areas. The rapidly rising population and the industrial revolution during several previous decades caused immense pollution, and it is now among the most polluted rivers globally. With the lockdown still in effect, the waters of the Yamuna River have seen a considerable rise in quality, especially in areas where there are lesser industrial activity and human encroachments. Reports indicate that a reduction in human and industrial activity has led to betterment in the water quality of the Yamuna River.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, the disruption to economic activity (13–32%) globally, COVID-19 pandemic lockdown has created enormous positive effects on the environment, which must be considered as spotlights for the better management of the environment in the future. As we mentioned earlier, playing some great online casino Malaysia games can help you to stay home more because online casino Malaysia provide you full range of types of gambling, including live casino Malaysia, Slot online Malaysia, 4D lottery Malaysia, live poker Malaysia, and others casino Malaysia online game. Now, you can find the best online casino Malaysia or trusted online casino Malaysia to play during covid-19 lockdown. Don’t forget to look for all free credit online casino Malaysia or Malaysia National Day promotions.