Is it just trees that lower particulate air pollution?

I read that trees, or some trees, lower particulate air pollution by capturing the particles in their leaves, which wash off when it rains so the leaves can capture more of the dangerous microscopic particles in the air we breathe.

Does this apply to only trees? Do other plants do it, such as shrubs, and small plants? Is it just the leaves or do other parts of the plant, such as flowers, capture these particles from the air?

 

Hi yes most plants for instance . Air purifying plants in home like areca, spider, peace lily, sansevieria green, money plant and others work effectively in reducing harmful pollutants and toxins from the air to make it better for you to breathe
Also many in garden like Wallflower – These fight air pollutants dust and soot .Common Ivy – the ivy leaves makes the plant “ideal for air purification”. Lady’s Mantle – this plant has hairy it reduces nitrogen dioxide levels and traps harmful particles. Aster and Osmanthus – These are both bioindication plants, which change appearance when specific pollutants are around. Plus a few others

 

I think lots of trees and shrubs and other plants help with this by allowing particles from the air attach to their living surfaces and the council in the nearest city to me got sold on the idea of letting moss do the job in the city centre to combat air pollution there. Would have preferred myself if they put the same money into planting a few more trees about the place.

Happy gardening!

 

Personally I'm sceptical about the whole thing, if you just want something for the grime to settle on and get washed away buildings do that as much as any plants can.
As to giving off oxygen, that's a different matter and deadening traffic noise is another benefit of foliage.

 

I think plants work a lot better than buildings for this and I can think of a lot of buildings where the grime settles on them and does not simply wash off. Plants are continuously regenerating themselves and letting old leaves with any grime attached fall to the ground and growing new ones that are nice and fresh looking. Don't know of any buildings that do that. The exchange of gases in plants as they transpire water vapour and release oxygen and absorb and at times release carbon dioxide might also make particulates settling on their surfaces more likely with no gas flow normally found across solid surfaces like those found on buildings.

 

Your probably right but I just dont think in the real world there is enough plants to made a big difference to air quality in towns and cities.
Plants and trees are not actively removing particulates from the air, its just a random thing of what actually settles in the plant/tree.
If it doesn't settle on a tree it settles on the ground, and thats where the leaves end up anyway.

 

Must admit that being in favour of trees and plants in urban areas just for making them a nicer place aesthetically I had not really read much about the effect of plants on particulate air pollution so just did a quick internet search to read up on it a bit and found this relevant page. It mentions mature city trees as being able to take in about 1.5kgs of particulate matter per year but there are also some interesting points like trees are not always a simple solution as sometimes trees can slow air movement and prevent pollution being dispersed. I think since plants have a greater surface area than just flat ground then there must be more particulates deposited on the greater surface area but maybe you are right that in some urban areas there are not enough plants to make a significant difference.
Happy gardening!