Air pollution is the greatest environmental cause of premature death worldwide, significantly exceeding infectious diseases, all forms of violence, and even smoking [1].
Air pollution is the result of natural occurring conditions and also now, predominately, from human sources, such as industrial processes, chemical emissions, and vehicular exhaust. Particulate matter (PM) has emerged as one of the most important urban air quality challenges.
Within the Gateway Cities region, there is a correlation between truck traffic and congestion on the I‐710 and public health impacts on neighboring residents. Numerous studies have shown a linkage between exposure to exhaust pollutants from diesel trucks and other sources and adverse health effects such as cancer, aggravated asthma, chronic bronchitis, and cardiovascular problems. Concern about diesel particulate matter was elevated with completion of the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s (AQMD’s) Multiple Air Toxics Exposure Study (MATES) III, which found that 70% of the air pollution inhalation cancer risk in the region was caused by diesel particular matter.
Meeting Clean Air Act standards and World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines is a challenge throughout the region, and urban areas across the Country. Increasingly efficient transportation reduces emissions, along with increasingly cleaner industries and industrial practices. Reducing our daily use of cars, increasing public transportation ridership, and supporting active transportation can also help bring down air pollution and improve quality of life.
The urban tree canopy and other plants also have sigificant potential as filters to capture pollutants and clean the air:
• Diverse vegetation structures including trees, shrubs, and groundcovers can reduce localized concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (a greenhouse gas) by as much as 40% and particulate matter by as much as 60% [2].
• Trees and public and private green space can improve air quality-related health and health outcomes [3], though potential improvements may be dependent on local conditions, specific species selection, and assemblage.
[1] Lelieveld, Pozzer, Pöschl et al. et al. 2020. Loss of life expectancy from air pollution compared to other risk factors: a worldwide perspective. Cardiovascular Research 116 (11).
[2] Pugh, MacKenzie, Whyatt, and Hewitt. 2012. Effectiveness of green infrastructure for Improvement of air quality in urban street canyons. Environmental Science and Technology 46 (14). Washington, DC: American Chemical Society.
[3] Alcock et. al.. 2017. Land cover and air pollution are associated with asthma hospitalizations: a cross-sectional study. Environment International 109.
