Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) has developed a model to help predict how different types of the green infrastructure placed in and around a city can impact the spread of toxic nanoparticles and whether they help improve the air quality.
Surrey's Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) has developed a model to help predict how different types of the green infrastructure placed in and around a city can impact the spread of toxic nanoparticles and whether they help improve the air quality.
Professor Prashant Kumar, co-author of the study and the founding Director of GCARE at the University of Surrey, said:
"There is an inexplicable knowledge gap when it comes to understanding the impact typical green infrastructure has on the dispersion of the harmful nanoparticles from traffic that are harming human health.
"Our research is advancing understanding of how nanoparticles move in air and can assist in securing agreement within the scientific community on how we quantify the number of particles in a given space. Across the University, our sustainability research is equipping humanity with the technologies and tools to tackle climate change, clean our air and reduce the impacts of pollution on health "
The team looked at the road network in the South East of England --- including the M25, A3, A31 and A331 and other minor roads --- and investigated the effects that coniferous trees (evergreen and dense), deciduous trees (trees at maturity which shed their leaves in autumn), and grassland had on traffic-related pollution dispersion.
Read more at: University of Surrey
Photo Credit: Kolibrik via Pixabay
