Green roofs (where plants and/or grasses are planted on the roof of your home) have long been known to keep homes insulated better than standard roofs made out of things such as asphalt, but by adding greenery to other walls, you can help improve air quality.
Placing greenery such as trees, bushes, ivy, and other plants in the concrete jungles of cities, two of the most worrisome air pollutants, nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and microscopic particulate matter (PM), can be reduced dramatically. Past research had suggested that the air quality could be improved by less than 5 percent.
However, a new study done by Dr. Thomas Pugh, from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and his colleagues from the universities of Birmingham and Lancaster, concluded that judicious placement of grass, climbing ivy and other plants in urban canyons can reduce the concentration at street level of NO2 by as much as 40 percent and PM by 60 percent. That’s more than eight times higher than previously estimated to improve the air!
The finding even suggesed building plant-covered "green billboards" in these urban canyons to increase the amount of foliage. Dr. Thomas Pugh explained why cities rather than suburbs are ideal candidates for this, "This is where pollution is highest. Green areas may be grown road by road without expensive or big initiatives.”
The nice thing about the
"green billboard" idea is that is can be done over-time, and can start on a small scale level, but make a large impact.
"Big initiatives to fight air pollution, such as car-scrap bonuses, catalytic converters, or the introduction of a city toll, are not sufficient," says Professor Rob MacKenzie from the School of Geography, Earth, and Environmental Sciences of the University of Birmingham.
Thomas Pugh and colleagues explain that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and microscopic particulate matter (PM) — both of which can be harmful to human health — exceed safe levels on the streets of many cities. Past research suggested that trees and other green plants can improve urban air quality by removing those pollutants from the air. However, the improvement seemed to be small, a reduction of less than 5 percent. The new study sought a better understanding of the effects of green plants in the sometimes stagnant air of city streets, which the authors term "urban street canyons." The study concluded that judicious placement of grass, climbing ivy and other plants in urban canyons can reduce the concentration at street level of NO2 by as much as 40 percent and PM by 60 percent, much more than previously believed. The authors even suggest building plant-covered "green billboards" in these urban canyons to increase the amount of foliage. Trees were also shown to
Read more at:
http://phys.org/news/2012-07-green-city-street-pollution-previously.html#jCp
Thomas Pugh and colleagues explain that concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and microscopic particulate matter (PM) — both of which can be harmful to human health — exceed safe levels on the streets of many cities. Past research suggested that trees and other green plants can improve urban air quality by removing those pollutants from the air. However, the improvement seemed to be small, a reduction of less than 5 percent. The new study sought a better understanding of the effects of green plants in the sometimes stagnant air of city streets, which the authors term "urban street canyons." The study concluded that judicious placement of grass, climbing ivy and other plants in urban canyons can reduce the concentration at street level of NO2 by as much as 40 percent and PM by 60 percent, much more than previously believed. The authors even suggest building plant-covered "green billboards" in these urban canyons to increase the amount of foliage. Trees were also shown to
Read more at:
http://phys.org/news/2012-07-green-city-street-pollution-previously.html#jCp
Sources: Environmental Science & Technology, PC World, and Phys.org
