TY - JOUR
T1 - Quantification of fine dust deposition on different plant species in a vertical greening system
AU - Perini, Katia
AU - Ottelé, Marc
AU - Giulini, Saverio
AU - Magliocco, Adriano
AU - Roccotiello, Enrica
PY - 2017/3/1
Y1 - 2017/3/1
N2 - Urban vegetation has been shown to improve air quality. Green envelopes can provide wide vegetated surfaces in dense cities. This research investigates the performances of four selected plant species used for vertical greening systems, comparing the fine and ultrafine dusts (PM10, PM2.5) collecting capacity by leaves, under the same conditions (height/location, pollution exposition, weather). The ESEM micrographs (n = 144) taken on the upper leaf epidermis of 20 leaves show different plant species performances, with Trachelospermum jasminoides > Hedera helix > Cistus ‘Jessamy Beauty’ > Phlomis fruticosa. The 100×, 250×, 500×, 2500× magnifications allow counting a wide range of particle sizes, i.e., from 0.1 to 20 μm. The study demonstrates that some variable investigated, i.e., plant species’ shape and surface (thick cuticular waxes on leaf epidermis), influence the amount of particles deposed; while others, i.e., season and age of leaves, do not. This study demonstrates that selecting specific plants in green infrastructure is important to exploit their collecting capacity to increase vertical greening systems performances.
AB - Urban vegetation has been shown to improve air quality. Green envelopes can provide wide vegetated surfaces in dense cities. This research investigates the performances of four selected plant species used for vertical greening systems, comparing the fine and ultrafine dusts (PM10, PM2.5) collecting capacity by leaves, under the same conditions (height/location, pollution exposition, weather). The ESEM micrographs (n = 144) taken on the upper leaf epidermis of 20 leaves show different plant species performances, with Trachelospermum jasminoides > Hedera helix > Cistus ‘Jessamy Beauty’ > Phlomis fruticosa. The 100×, 250×, 500×, 2500× magnifications allow counting a wide range of particle sizes, i.e., from 0.1 to 20 μm. The study demonstrates that some variable investigated, i.e., plant species’ shape and surface (thick cuticular waxes on leaf epidermis), influence the amount of particles deposed; while others, i.e., season and age of leaves, do not. This study demonstrates that selecting specific plants in green infrastructure is important to exploit their collecting capacity to increase vertical greening systems performances.
KW - Air pollution
KW - Counting method
KW - Green envelope
KW - Leaf
KW - PM
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85008600529&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.12.032
DO - 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2016.12.032
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85008600529
SN - 0925-8574
VL - 100
SP - 268
EP - 276
JO - Ecological Engineering
JF - Ecological Engineering
ER -