Abstract
ABSTRACTAir pollution presents a major risk to human health, resulting in premature deaths and reduced quality of life. Quantifying the role of vegetation in reducing air pollution concentrations is an important contribution to urban natural capital accounting. However, most current methods to calculate pollution removal are static, and do not represent atmospheric transport of pollutants, or interactions among pollutants and meteorology. An additional challenge is defining urban extent in a way that captures the green and blue infrastructure providing the service in a consistent way. We developed a refined urban morphology layer which incorporates urban green and blue space. We then applied an atmospheric chemistry transport model (EMEP4UK) to calculate pollutant removal by urban natural capital for pollutants including PM2.5, NO2, SO2, O3. We calculated health benefits directly from the change in pollutant concentrations (i.e. exposure) rather than from tonnes of pollutant removed. Urban natural capital across Britain removes 28,700 tonnes of PM2.5, NO2, SO2, O3. The economic value of the health benefits are substantial: £136 million in 2015, resulting from 900 fewer respiratory hospital admissions, 220 fewer cardiovascular hospital admissions, 240 fewer deaths and 3600 fewer Life Years Lost.
Highlights
Air pollution is a major cause of death and contributes to the burden of non-communicable diseases globally (Lim et al 2012), in high population density megacities and countries experiencing rapid industrial expansion (Liu et al 2017)
We have applied a dynamic modelling approach to calculate pollution removal by urban vegetation which takes into account chemical interactions among pollutants and meteorology, and which takes into account the transport of both pollutants, and the benefits in terms of reduced pollution concentrations, across urban areas
A large part of the health benefits are due to woodland because of the high rates of Particulate matter (PM) removal by trees
Summary
Air pollution is a major cause of death and contributes to the burden of non-communicable diseases globally (Lim et al 2012), in high population density megacities and countries experiencing rapid industrial expansion (Liu et al 2017). The health impacts include respiratory illness, cardio-vascular complications, a loss of life expectancy and premature deaths. Air pollution is rarely the sole cause of death but often exacerbates existing health conditions. It poses a serious health risk, with considerable cost to society (Cohen et al 2005). The principal pollutants which give rise to these health impacts are particulate matter, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur, ammonia and ozone (WHO 2006, 2013). Particulate matter (PM) includes particles of different size fractions, from a range of primary and secondary sources. Most health impacts of particulate matter are attributed to fine particles with a diameter less than 2.5 microns
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