Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles

Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant. PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> pose particularly serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. Vegetation plays an important role in reducing the concentration of particles. Based on a long...

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Main Authors: Haoran Zhai, Jiaqi Yao, Guanghui Wang, Xinming Tang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-03-01
Series:Remote Sensing
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/5/1255
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author Haoran Zhai
Jiaqi Yao
Guanghui Wang
Xinming Tang
author_facet Haoran Zhai
Jiaqi Yao
Guanghui Wang
Xinming Tang
author_sort Haoran Zhai
collection DOAJ
description Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant. PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> pose particularly serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. Vegetation plays an important role in reducing the concentration of particles. Based on a long time series of air quality, meteorological, and vegetation coverage data in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, the present paper evaluated the influence at the overall and built-up area scales and quantified the process involved in the dry settlement of particles on vegetation based on a mathematical model. The experimental results showed that (1) the total amounts of PM<sub>10</sub> reduced by vegetation in the BTH area were 505,200 t, 465,500 t, 477,200 t and 396,500 t in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, and the total amount of PM<sub>2.5</sub> was reduced by 19,400 t, 19,200 t, 16,400 t and 12,700 t, respectively. The annual reduction in PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub> from 2015 to 2018 by vegetation in the BTH region showed a downwards trend, and the annual reduction was mainly caused by the significant decrease in PM concentration. (2) More than 80% of the reduction in annual yield was concentrated in May–September, and a large leaf area was the main reason for the largest yield reduction in the growing season. The efficiency of PM reduction in forestland was approximately five–seven times that in grassland, and the deciduous broad-leaved forest was the main driver of this reduction in each forest. (3) The reduction in PM<sub>10</sub> by vegetation was approximately 30 times that of PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub>. However, the reduction in PM<sub>2.5</sub> by vegetation should not be ignored because PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub> has a stronger correlation with human production and living activities. Increasing the area and density of green space via afforestation, returning farmland to forest and giving full play to the self-purification function of green spaces are very important to reducing and controlling the concentration of PM.
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spelling doaj.art-7e6e1cd0b1b24f278b4e4b39561c08b42023-11-23T23:43:53ZengMDPI AGRemote Sensing2072-42922022-03-01145125510.3390/rs14051255Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution ParticlesHaoran Zhai0Jiaqi Yao1Guanghui Wang2Xinming Tang3Land Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100048, ChinaLand Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100048, ChinaLand Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100048, ChinaLand Satellite Remote Sensing Application Center, Ministry of Natural Resources, Beijing 100048, ChinaAtmospheric particulate matter (PM) is a major air pollutant. PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> pose particularly serious threats to the ecological environment and human health. Vegetation plays an important role in reducing the concentration of particles. Based on a long time series of air quality, meteorological, and vegetation coverage data in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region, the present paper evaluated the influence at the overall and built-up area scales and quantified the process involved in the dry settlement of particles on vegetation based on a mathematical model. The experimental results showed that (1) the total amounts of PM<sub>10</sub> reduced by vegetation in the BTH area were 505,200 t, 465,500 t, 477,200 t and 396,500 t in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018, respectively, and the total amount of PM<sub>2.5</sub> was reduced by 19,400 t, 19,200 t, 16,400 t and 12,700 t, respectively. The annual reduction in PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub> from 2015 to 2018 by vegetation in the BTH region showed a downwards trend, and the annual reduction was mainly caused by the significant decrease in PM concentration. (2) More than 80% of the reduction in annual yield was concentrated in May–September, and a large leaf area was the main reason for the largest yield reduction in the growing season. The efficiency of PM reduction in forestland was approximately five–seven times that in grassland, and the deciduous broad-leaved forest was the main driver of this reduction in each forest. (3) The reduction in PM<sub>10</sub> by vegetation was approximately 30 times that of PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub>. However, the reduction in PM<sub>2.5</sub> by vegetation should not be ignored because PM<sub>2</sub><sub>.5</sub> has a stronger correlation with human production and living activities. Increasing the area and density of green space via afforestation, returning farmland to forest and giving full play to the self-purification function of green spaces are very important to reducing and controlling the concentration of PM.https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/5/1255PM<sub>2.5</sub>PM<sub>10</sub>UFOREair pollutiondustLAI
spellingShingle Haoran Zhai
Jiaqi Yao
Guanghui Wang
Xinming Tang
Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
Remote Sensing
PM<sub>2.5</sub>
PM<sub>10</sub>
UFORE
air pollution
dust
LAI
title Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
title_full Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
title_fullStr Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
title_full_unstemmed Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
title_short Study of the Effect of Vegetation on Reducing Atmospheric Pollution Particles
title_sort study of the effect of vegetation on reducing atmospheric pollution particles
topic PM<sub>2.5</sub>
PM<sub>10</sub>
UFORE
air pollution
dust
LAI
url https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/14/5/1255
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AT jiaqiyao studyoftheeffectofvegetationonreducingatmosphericpollutionparticles
AT guanghuiwang studyoftheeffectofvegetationonreducingatmosphericpollutionparticles
AT xinmingtang studyoftheeffectofvegetationonreducingatmosphericpollutionparticles