A new study led by Cambridge University confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children’s exposure to traffic-related particle pollution.
A new study led by Cambridge University confirms that planting hedges between roadsides and school playgrounds can dramatically reduce children’s exposure to traffic-related particle pollution.
The research, a collaboration with Lancaster University, found that hedges can act as protective barriers against air pollution from major city roads by soaking up significant quantities of harmful particles emitted by traffic.
The researchers applied a new type of pollution analysis, using magnetism to study particles trapped by a hedge separating a major 6-lane road from a primary school in Manchester, UK. They found that the hedge was especially successful in removing ultrafine particle pollution, which can be more damaging to health.
“Our findings show that hedges can provide a simple, cheap and effective way to help reduce exposure to local sources of pollution,” said lead author Hassan Sheikh from Cambridge’s Department of Earth Sciences.
Read more at University of Cambridge
Image: Monitoring particle air pollution either side of the tredge installed at St Ambrose primary school, Manchester (Credit: H.A. Sheikh)
