NO2 is a mainly anthropogenic gas that affects population health and its
exposure is associated with several respiratory diseases. Its
tropospheric concentration is associated with vehicle emissions. During
2020, COVID-19 lockdowns have impeded population's mobility, hence
constructing an almost ideal situation to study their relationship with
tropospheric NO2 concentration. We used TROPOMI satellite images, Google
mobility reports and vehicule count in order to study these
relationships in six big Latin American metropolitan areas. In all of
them, tropospheric NO2 concentration decreased during 2020 compared to
2019, particularly during April 2020. The daily vehicle count in Buenos
Aires was a significantly important variable in order to explain NO2
concentration variations. This study strengthens previous research
findings about NO2 concentration reduction during COVID-19 lockdowns and
shows the relationship between human mobility and air pollution in the
particular context of Latin America big cities.