Pollution in the seas off Rome has decreased 30 per cent during the country’s coronavirus lockdown.
The lack of human, agricultural waste and boats over the last few months are credited with helping clean up Italy’s seawater quality.
The official study may explain why local wildlife continues to thrive while humans stay inside (previously, dolphins were spotted swimming in Venice’s canals). Jellyfish have also been spotted in never-before-seen parts of the Italian coastline.
However, authorities are cautious to say this probably will be a temporary improvement.
According to Marco Lupo – director of Lazio region’s environmental policy – the lack of the usual tourists who normally visit Rome each year over that period has dramatically reduced the amount of sewage produced.
Also, the lockdown forced Italians to give-up their usual seaside vacation homes that they would normally visit in the spring – a practice that usually overwhelms local treatment plans and leads to an increase in pollutants.
You can read the whole study at phys.org.
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