The possibility of using ornamental woody plants to reduce particulate matter air pollution

U radu je analizirana zastupljenost pojedinih vrsta ukrasne dendroflore uz prometnice na području grada Zagreba, na temelju morfoloških karakteristika procijenjena je njihova učinkovitost u uklanjanju lebdećih čestica te su izdvojene vrste s visokim potencijalom uklanjanja lebdećih čestica i minimalnim štetnim učinkom na kvalitetu zraka. Najbrojnije vrste drveća uz analizirane prometnice bile su Acer platanoides, Aesculus hippocastanum, Betula pendula, Platanus x acerifolia, Tilia platyphyllos i T. tomentosa. Sve navedene vrste bile su s obzirom na karakteristike koje utječu na učinkovitost zadržavanja čestica relativno visoko rangirane. Među ovim vrstama, Tilia platyphyllos i T. tomentosa imaju slabo alergogenu pelud i u umjerenoj količini izlučuju hlapive organske spojeve te se stoga mogu smatrati vrstama pogodnim za sadnju uz prometnice.In this work, ornamental woody plants were analysed along busy roads in the city of Zagreb. The efficiency of different species in removal of particulate matter was estimated according to their morphological characteristics and species with high potential for particulate matter removal and minimal adverse effect on air quality were identified. The most numerous tree species along the analyzed roads were Acer platanoides, Aesculus hippocastanum, Betula pendula, Platanus x acerifolia, Tilia platyphyllos and T. tomentosa. All listed species were ranked relatively highly in terms of characteristics that affect particle removal efficiency. Among these species, Tilia platyphyllos and T. tomentosa produce low-allergenic pollen and release volatile organic compounds in moderate amounts, and can therefore be considered as suitable for planting along roads