Evaluating the potential of nature-based solutions to reduce ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and carbon dioxide through a multi-type green infrastructure study in Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The application of green infrastructure presents an opportunity to improve air quality using a multi-faceted ecosystems-based approach. A controlled field study evaluates the impact of multiple green infrastructure applications on air pollution and carbon dioxide concentrations across different urban, suburban and peri-urban morphologies. This study demonstrates that multiple types of green infrastructure applications are beneficial in air pollution abatement, specifically the reduction of ozone and nitrogen dioxide. This study also shows that multiple types of green infrastructure applications are beneficial in reducing carbon dioxide concentrations and are not limited to specific treatments regardless of location, geography, or land use type.