How much pollution does vegetation remove in your area?

This article is taken from the Office of National
Statistics:

‘Overall, an estimated 1.4 billion kg of air pollutants were
removed by woodlands, plants, grasslands and other UK vegetation in
2015, according to a
study produced for the
UK Natural Capital accounts by the Centre for
Ecology and Hydrology.

To put this in context, over five times as much PM2.5 was
emitted in the UK in 2015, than was removed by vegetation in
2015.

This pollution removal saved the UK around £1 billion in avoided
health damage costs. It is estimated there were 7,100 fewer lung
and heart-related hospital admissions, 27,000 fewer life years lost
and 1,900 fewer premature deaths in 2015 as result of nature
providing this service.

Trees in particular provide a wide range of services and account
for most of the volume of air pollutants absorbed by natural
vegetation in the UK but can have adverse effects also.

The
study looks at the role of vegetation in removing air pollutants,
and the benefits they provide to human health through reductions in
exposure. Most harmful is PM2.5 (fine particulate matter with
a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres, or 3% of the diameter of a
human hair), but the study also covers PM10, nitrogen dioxide,
ground-level ozone, ammonia and sulphur dioxide.

Even though vegetation will not solve the whole issue of air
quality in the UK, and in some cases vegetation can have adverse
effects on air quality, the service of air pollution absorption by
vegetation is nevertheless an important one.’

Find out how much pollution is removed by vegetation in your area,
and how this is valued in avoided health damage costs with the

interactive map.

If you would like to increase the amount of vegetation (trees,
grass, and other plantlife) in your area check out our webpages for
guidance on ‘Making Space for
Nature’