New research by the Ohio State University found that plants may be better at mitigating air pollution than technology, and cheaper. The study suggests that adding trees and other plants to the landscape around factories could reduce air pollution by 27%, on average! Other polluting areas such as industrial sites, power plants, roadways, commercial boilers, and oil and gas drilling sites would also benefit.
As far as costs are concerned, adding technological interventions (like smokestack scrubbers to the building) was more expensive than using plants in 75% of the counties analyzed. The study has been published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Bhavik Bakshi, lead author of the study and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at the Ohio State University, said:
The fact is that traditionally, especially as engineers, we don’t think about nature; we just focus on putting technology into everything. And so, one key finding is that we need to start looking at nature and learning from it and respecting it. There are win-win opportunities if we do—opportunities that are potentially cheaper and better environmentally.
In many ways, nature-based solutions are better than technology in dealing with air pollution. Technology was found to be cheaper only for industrial boilers. And for the manufacturing industry, a mix of both ecosystem and technology offers the best cost savings, depending on factory type.
The Study
- The researchers gathered public data on air pollution and vegetation across the lower 48 states – on a county-by-county basis – to understand the effects that trees and plants have on air pollution.
- Then, the team determined how much it would cost to add more trees and plants.
- With these calculations, they estimated the impact of trees and plants on the following most common air pollutants; particulate matter that contributes to smog, sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen dioxide.
The Results
- With vegetation restored to county-level average canopy cover, it reduced air pollution by 27% on average across the board.
Conclusion
Poor air quality can lead to health issues such as lung cancer, asthma, and heart disease. Four in ten people in America alone live in highly polluted areas, according to the American Lung Association. The situation is a critical public health issue! Bakshi recommends that builders and engineers keep nature into consideration and find ways to incorporate both ecological and technological systems into their planning.
