Articles | Volume 21, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6275-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-6275-2021
Research article
 | 
29 Apr 2021
Research article |  | 29 Apr 2021

Long-term trends in air quality in major cities in the UK and India: a view from space

Karn Vohra, Eloise A. Marais, Shannen Suckra, Louisa Kramer, William J. Bloss, Ravi Sahu, Abhishek Gaur, Sachchida N. Tripathi, Martin Van Damme, Lieven Clarisse, and Pierre-F. Coheur

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Anenberg, S. C., Achakulwisut, P., Brauer, M., Moran, D., Apte, J. S., and Henze, D. K.: Particulate matter-attributable mortality and relationships with carbon dioxide in 250 urban areas worldwide, Sci. Rep.-UK, 9, 11552, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-48057-9, 2019. 
Barnes, J. H., Hayes, E. T., Chatterton, T. J., and Longhurst, J. W. S.: Policy disconnect: A critical review of UK air quality policy in relation to EU and LAQM responsibilities over the last 20 years, Environ. Sci. Policy, 85, 28–39, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2018.03.024, 2018. 
Bilal, M., Qiu, Z. F., Campbell, J. R., Spak, S. N., Shen, X. J., and Nazeer, M.: A New MODIS C6 Dark Target and Deep Blue Merged Aerosol Product on a 3 km Spatial Grid, Remote Sens.-Basel, 10, 463, https://doi.org/10.3390/rs10030463, 2018. 
Boersma, K. F., Eskes, H. J., and Brinksma, E. J.: Error analysis for tropospheric NO2 retrieval from space, J. Geophys. Res.-Atmos., 109, D04311, https://doi.org/10.1029/2003jd003962, 2004. 
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Short summary
We find satellite observations of atmospheric composition generally reproduce variability in surface air pollution, so we use their long record to estimate air quality trends in major UK and Indian cities. Our trend analysis shows that pollutants targeted with air quality policies have not declined in Delhi and Kanpur but have in London and Birmingham, with the exception of a recent and dramatic increase in reactive volatile organics in London. Unregulated ammonia has increased only in Delhi.
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