Vegetation: a sink for atmospheric pollutants

Journal Article · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1971 · J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1080/00022470.1971.10469535· OSTI ID:6537430

Hill, A C

The possibility of vegetation being an important sink for gaseous air pollutants was investigated. Plant pollutant uptake measurements were made utilizing a typical vegetation canopy and chambers that were designed specifically for gaseous exchange studies. The data indicate that an alfalfa canopy removed gases from the atmosphere in the following order: Hydrogen fluoride (HF) > sulfur dioxide (SO/sub 2/) > chlorine (Cl/sub 2/) > nitrogen dioxide (NO/sub 2/) > ozone (O/sub 3/) > peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) > nitric oxide (NO) > carbon monoxide (CO). The absorption rate of NO was low, and no absorption of CO could be detected with the methods used. In the typical ambient concentration range uptake increased linerarly with increasing concentration except for O/sub 3/ and Cl/sub 2/ which caused partial stomatal closure at the higher concentrations. Wind velocity above the plants, height of the canopy, and light intensity were shown to affect the pollutant removal rate. A relationship between the absorption rate and solubility of the pollutant in water was also shown. It was concluded that vegetation may be an important sink for many gaseous air pollutants.

• OSTI ID: 6537430
• Journal Information: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States), Journal Name: J. Air Pollut. Control Assoc.; (United States) Vol. 21; ISSN JPCAA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

500200 -- Environment
Atmospheric-- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport-- (-1989)
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
560303* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Plants-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
AIR POLLUTION
ALFALFA
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHLORINE
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
ESTERS
FOLIAR UPTAKE
HALOGENS
HYDROFLUORIC ACID
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INORGANIC ACIDS
LEGUMINOSAE
NITRATES
NITRIC ACID ESTERS
NITRIC OXIDE
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN DIOXIDE
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
OPENINGS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
OZONE
PEROXYACETYL NITRATE
PLANTS
POLLUTION
SINKS
SOLUBILITY
STOMATA
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES
UPTAKE