PAHs in trees from urban environments: relationship with leaf traits, intraindividual variability and interspecific differences

Abstract

Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, air quality has deteriorated considerably, leading to serious health and environmental issues. This problem is much more severe in urban areas. To counter this, different public administrations are taking measures to alleviate this problem, but most of them are primarily focused on reducing emissions. However, there is another much less explored option for improving air quality in urban environments: the use of tree vegetation as a sink for pollutants. With this idea, and even though in most cities around the world, trees are limited to sidewalks, boulevards, and parks, being planted for aesthetic reasons, in recent years numerous urban planning and architectural initiatives have emerged that, in order to effectively reduce air pollution in urban areas, increase the tree-covered surface area acting as a green filter.