The coronavirus pandemic has led to huge drop in air pollution. In this podcast Paul Monks, professor of air pollution at the University of Leicester, discusses the important lessons to learn. Monks is the former chair of the UK government’s science advisory committee on air quality.

The interview explores what exposure to air pollution might mean with regards to risk with COVID-19 and the emerging evidence-base around if airborne pollution particles can carry viruses and bacteria.

Professor Monks outlines a potential silver lining in being able to see what can happen if there are large-scale actions to turn off air pollution. The moves to electrification of the vehicle fleet offers one route to doing this.