Vegetation Barriers

Particulate matter (PM) is a component of air pollution especially harmful to children’s health and is often found in elevated concentrations in and around urban schools. Vegetation barriers can protect children from exposure to PM by capturing and accumulating particulates and preventing their dispersion. This study was commissioned by the Texas Trees Foundation to determine the effectiveness of different plant species in filtering airborne PM at the Charles Rice Learning Center in Dallas, Texas, and thus to inform plant species selection for vegetation barriers around urban schools  Therefore, this study had the following objectives: (1) quantify PM filtration by six tree and one shrub species comprising a recently planted vegetation barrier at Charles Rice Learning Center in Dallas, Texas; (2) compare and contrast differences in PM filtration among species and during summer and fall seasons; and (3) evaluate the role of leaf wettability, the affinity for water on leaf surfaces, on PM filtration.  Stay tuned for our study findings and the final report!