BACT analysis: Are there cost effective air quality benefits from trees?
- Forest Service, Davis, CA (United States). Pacific Southwest Research Station
Trees absorb gaseous pollutants through leaf stomata and can bind or dissolve water soluble pollutants onto moist leaf surfaces. Tree canopies also intercept particulates and reduce local air temperatures. Urban trees may reduce ambient air ozone concentrations, either by direct absorption of ozone or other pollutants such as NO{sub 2}, or by reducing air temperatures, which reduces hydrocarbon emission and ozone formation rates. On the other hand, biogenic hydrocarbon emissions from trees may play a role in ozone formation. The role of trees in air quality has become coupled with concern over the costs and benefits of large-scale urban free planting programs. Air quality management districts provide pollution abatement credits to businesses and institutions by permitting the use of controls or processes, provided they are technically feasible and cost effective, based upon guidelines in Best Available Control Technology (BACT) manuals. Typically BACT analysis is applied to stationary sources, but the authors apply it here to determine if a large-scale urban tree planting can be a cost effective means to improve air quality.
- OSTI ID:
- 422947
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960127--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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