Abstract
Purpose is to investigate the ability of natural urban forests to purify atmospheric air polluted with particulate matter (PMx), based on the correlation between the level of PMx in the air and the concentration of pollutants accumulated by trees.
 Materials and methods. The studies were carried out in 8 large forest areas on the Irkutsk city territory. In each area, a test site was selected, where the concentrations of particulate matter of the size range: PM0.3, PM0.5, PM1, PM2.5, PM5, PM10 were measured and the AQI index, used in world practice to assess air pollution, was calculated. To determine the level of pollutants accumulation by trees, needles/leaves samples of Scotch pine, Siberian larch, and Silver birch were taken for their analysis on the content of heavy metals (HMs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The instrumental park of the Baikal Analytical Center, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the equipment of the Republican Analytical Center (Ulan-Ude) were used in the work.
 Results. At test sites in urban forests, the level of air pollution was assessed using the AQI index and the IZA index adopted in the Russian Federation. A significant similarity of estimates for both indices was established. The large role of urban forests in air purification from various sizes of particulate matter is shown. It is evidenced by the active accumulation of pollutants present in PMx (heavy metals and PAHs) by needles and leaves. A direct correlation was established between the AQI index and the content of pollutants (sum 8 HMs and sum 14 PAHs) in needles/leaves of trees. It was revealed that all surveyed forests of Irkutsk are polluted to one degree or another, and most of them, with the exception of two forest areas, cannot cope with air purification to a permissible level.
 Application of results. It is recommended to increase the area of urban forests by creating plantations that are structurally close to natural forest ecosystems.
 Conclusion. It is shown that urban forests are a powerful factor in the purification of the air environment from particulate matter within the city. At the same time, significant pollution of the forests themselves requires optimization of their condition.
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