Recent studies based both on modeling and on observed data have shown how air quality improved following the adoption of the lockdown measures adopted to curb the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. The objective of this work is to analyze the atmospheric concentration of NO₂ in Lombardy during the spring lockdown. The study investigated the region of Lombardy as it is characterized by high levels of air pollution and is also the first region in Europe to impose a lockdown. In particular, this work analyzes the atmospheric concentration of NO₂ in the face of an increasingly incisive reduction in emissions from road traffic. The lockdown situation allows us to simulate, for the first time, a scenario of reduced mobility and compare it with measured air quality data. As regards the city of Milan, the decrease in the concentration of NO₂ goes hand in hand with the reduction in traffic: against a reduction in traffic of 71%, the concentration of nitrogen dioxide was reduced by a third. The work also shows that industrial activities have a significant impact on the atmospheric concentration of NO₂, especially in the provinces of Brescia and Bergamo. The analysis of air quality in Lombardy during the lockdown allows us to understand the degree of incisiveness needed for mobility policies in order to achieve effectively the set environmental targets and consequently safeguard human health.

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