Tree and forest effects on air quality… | Healthy Trees, Healthy Lives

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

Modeling broad-scale effects of pollution removal by trees on air pollution concentrations and human health reveals that while the percent reduction in pollution concentration averages less than one percent, trees remove substantial amounts of pollution and can produce substantial health benefits and monetary values across the nation, with most of the health values derived from urban trees.

Nowak, D et al

Environmental Pollution,Vol. 193, Oct. 2014, pp. 119-129

As human populations are concentrated in urban areas, the health effects and values derived from pollution removal are concentrated in urban areas with 68.1% of the $6.8 billion value occurring with urban lands. In terms of impacts on human health, trees in urban areas provide morehealth benefits than rural trees due to their proximity to people.