A Naturally Green Way to Reduce Air Pollution in Cities
This simple solution could help to reduce air pollution in urban areas – quickly and affordably…
Air pollution is a major public health threat in many areas of the world – including many cities in the United States. Over 50% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, and this is expected to increase substantially within the next 50 years. This means the pollution problem is likely to increase as well, especially as the world’s wealth increases, and more cars take to the roads in countries such as India and China.
Along with increasing availability (and lowering costs) of more fuel-efficient vehicles and electric cars, there are other ways to reduce air pollution in cities using green infrastructure.
For example, one unique method that is being considered in some cities is the use of hedges to improve air quality at street level. While taller trees can sometimes have the opposite effect – concentrating air pollution and restricting air flow – hedges can work much better in some situations, according to a recent study in the journal Atmospheric Environment. The study found that
low hedges reduce the impact of pollution from vehicles in cityscapes where there are large buildings close to roads, far more effectively than taller trees.
According to a lead author of the study, here’s how this type of green infrastructure works, and how it can be used to reduce air pollution in cities:
Green infrastructure in cities is an urban planning solution for improving air quality as well as enhancing the sustainability of cities for growing urban populations. These green solutions include street trees, vegetation barriers (including hedges), green (or living) walls, and green roofs. They act as porous bodies which influence local dispersion of pollution and aid the deposition and removal of airborne pollutants, making the air cleaner.
The use of these types of solutions is still being studied to identify which types of environments would benefit most from each solution, as their effectiveness varies depending on where and how they are used.
To learn more, check out the full article at https://www.news-medical.net.
