Research reveals trees add to air pollution

It may be a bombshell on green fraternity all around the world. Now trees not only reduce the air pollution by releasing oxygen into the air and mitigating the suspended air pollutants but they can also worsen the air quality. Trees have a substance that protects their leaves, if it is combined with the nitrogen oxide - that comes into the air from vehicles and factories – it produces air-borne particulates that eventually can penetrate into our lungs and affect our respiratory system. The likelihood of various respiratory diseases because of the trees in huge number around our living area escalates more.

Who made this research?

This new research was carried out by the a professor of environmental sciences and engineering Jason Surratt at the Gilling School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel

Hill along with his colleagues and it recently published in an online paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

What this research actually says?

It was earlier known that trees sometime emit a molecule isoprene that is already plentiful in the air. This molecule protects the leaves from all types of damage by oxygen and by change in temperature. It was first time disclosed in 2004 that this molecule apart from protecting the leaves can also add into particulate matter and increase air pollution. It remain suspended in the air because of its tiny size – less than normal particle and can go into the lungs of one who breathe in the ambient air with large quantity of this molecule. The chances of disease asthma and lung cancer rise further if one inhales the polluted air with this substance.

Is it confirmed?

But it is yet to be confirmed if the isoprene substance really comes from trees in huge quantity and mixes with nitrogen oxide in the air and creates such disastrous effect on human health. It will be verified when some independent sources will confirm the findings of this study through third party analysis. After that its certification will complete and all the plans and policies related to tree plantation and mitigation measures of air pollution will be modified if it is proved right.

Trees are still blessings despite new research

However, Professor Surratt gave a very valid suggestion to overcome this negative effect of trees. He said despite this negative effect tree is still a biggest source of mitigation of air pollution more particularly, apart from contributing in balancing the ecosystem. He added that it is not important that trees emit a substances that may become hazardous if mixes with the nitrogen oxide. More important is that why we have compromised over the huge quantity of nitrogen oxide in the air. Why don’t we take drastic steps and cut all such steps that create this gas and hit the quality of our air. For this purpose we may switch over to green fuel and reduce the burning of fossil fuel to create the black energy. Similarly we can popularize the green fuel vehicles to reduce the vehicular emission that is another major contributor of releasing nitrogen oxide in the air.