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Home > Featured Articles > Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States > Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States

Tree and forest effects on air quality and human health in the United States [1]

Trees remove air pollution by the interception of particulate matter on plant surfaces and the absorption of gaseous pollutants through the leaf stomata. However, the magnitude and value of the effects of trees and forests on air quality and human health across the United States remains unknown. Computer simulations with local environmental data reveal that trees and forests in the conterminous United
States removed 17.4 million tonnes (t) of air pollution in 2010 (range: 9.0e23.2 million t), with human health effects valued at 6.8 billion U.S. dollars (range: $1.5e13.0 billion). This pollution removal equated
to an average air quality improvement of less than one percent. Most of the pollution removal occurred in rural areas, while most of the health impacts and values were within urban areas. Health impacts
included the avoidance of more than 850 incidences of human mortality and 670,000 incidences of acute respiratory symptoms.

Publication Date: 
28/07/2014
David J. Nowak [2], Satoshi Hirabayashi [3], Allison Bodine & et al [4]
Environmental Pollution [5]
193
119-129
Tags:
Trees [6], Air Pollution [7], Health Effects [8], United States Of America (US) [9], Air Quality and Health [10], Respiratory Diseases [11], PM 2.5 [12], Ozone [13], Forests [14], Ecosystem Services [15], Urban Air Quality [16]

Technology Partners: MimirTech

Source URL: http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/tree-and-forest-effects-air-quality-and-human-health-united-states

Links:
[1] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/feature-article/tree-and-forest-effects-air-quality-and-human-health-united-states
[2] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/david-j-nowak
[3] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/satoshi-hirabayashi
[4] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/author/allison-bodine-et-al
[5] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/journal/environmental-pollution
[6] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/trees
[7] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/air-pollution
[8] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/health-effects
[9] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/united-states-america-us
[10] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/air-quality-and-health
[11] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/respiratory-diseases
[12] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/pm-25
[13] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ozone
[14] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/forests
[15] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/ecosystem-services
[16] http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/category/thesaurus/urban-air-quality