Green wall study to look at how plants could improve air quality

Middlesex University is to undertake a three-year research study into the effect of plants on improving air quality - the first project funded by the Mayor of London's Air Quality Fund. Working in partnership with Barking and Dagenham Council, the University's School of Science and Technology has built walls made of plants at Warren School, a secondary school in the borough, and will use these to study the efficiency of such 'green walls' at reducing harmful particles from the environment. Following a 2010 study commissioned by London Mayor Boris Johnson, it was estimated that more than 4,000 deaths per year in the capital are caused by the microscopic airborne particles emitted in exhaust fumes. Much has been made of the potential of green walls to help reduce these harmful pollutants as it is known that these particles stick to the leaves of plants, and the Middlesex green wall project will contribute to the body of data surrounding this theory. Built alongside a busy road in the grounds of the school, the walls will be used to study whether their angle or height affects the number of particles captured by the plants. Five different plants have been chosen to compare their impact against one another, while a comparison will also be made against a naturally growing hedge to enable a cost benefit analysis. The first year of the study, which is being carried out by MSc Environmental Health student Alan Nichols and supervised by Senior Biosciences Lecturer Dr Dirk Wildeboer, will look specifically at the effectiveness of green walls in reducing two major road traffic pollutants: PM10 and NO2. "One of the objectives of our research is to be open-minded about it and generate more scientific data to see how good green walls are in mitigating air pollution and if they offer value for money," explains Dr Wildeboer. "We know that PM10 and NO2 particles stick to the leaves, but what happens afterwards? Some molecules might be absorbed by the plants and others get washed off when it rains and go into the soil. "However, they could get washed off onto concrete and then when it dries potentially be re-suspended in the air." During the first phase of the study, leaf clippings will be collected every five weeks and brought to the laboratory where they are washed so the particles are suspended in water. In early 2015 the study will be complete and the first phase of the project will come to an end. The School of Science and Technology will then involve other students in the project to collect more data and carry out research into different areas – such as the impact of the particles on the soil around the green wall.

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