Leaf geometric design of urban trees: potentiality to capture airborne particle pollutants

Document Type : High quality original papers

Authors

Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science, Sohag University, Sohag, Egypt.

Abstract

The geometric features and particles burdens of the leaf of twenty-seven common tree species were studied. Three different tree categories including coniferous, broad and bisect leaf were recorded. These categories exhibited significant differences in their particle burdens of TDP, PM10 and PM2.5. The value of TDP appears to affect strongly by leaf macro-morphology such as leaf direction, flatness and hardness. Micro-roughness of the leaf surface such as trichomes, ridges and furrows formed by epidermal cell lining, veins projections, stomata protected with wax rings, cuticular arches, hairs or scales and sunken position stimulated the capturing of fine and ultrafine particles. Accordingly, Thuja orientales, Ficus carica and Morus nigra dominated other species in their TDP burdens. Bougainvilla glabra, Tipuana tipu, Eucalyptus globulus, Bauhinia variegate, Ficus religosa, Jacaranda acutifolia have higher PM10 burdens than other species. High PM 2.5 burdens were recorded in species of Ficus religiosa, Dalbergia sissoo, Bauhinia variegate and Psidium guajava.

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