Jeong Jinsuk, Kim Chaewan, Choi Sumin, Sou Hong-Duck, Park Chan-Ryul
Livable Urban Forests Research Center, National Institute of Forest Science, 57 Hoegiro, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 02455, Republic of Korea.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Jan 26;22(2):167. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22020167.
This study investigates the effect of urban forests in reducing particulate matter (PM) concentrations and its subsequent impact on the number of asthma care visits. Understanding the mechanisms behind the relationship between the greenness of blocking forests and the reduction in PM is crucial for assessing the associated human health benefits. This study analyzed the influencing factors for reducing long-term PM concentrations, utilizing the vegetation index and meteorological variables. Results showed that the reduction in PM began in 2011, five years after the establishment of the blocking forest. The annual mean PM concentrations decreased significantly, driven primarily by summer wind speed and summer Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), explaining approximately 62% of the variation. A decrease in the number of asthma care visits was observed, similar to the trend of PM reduction in the residential area and the increase in the greenness of the blocking forest. The influx of PM into the city, primarily driven by prevailing northwesterly winds, may have been mitigated by the growing blocking forest, contributing to a reduction in asthma-related medical visits among urban residents. In particular, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the increase in the PM/PM ratio in residential areas has become more closely linked to the increase in asthma-related medical visits. It suggests another PM emission source in the residential area. The number of asthma care visits among children (under 11) and the elderly (over 65) exhibited a strong positive correlation with PM levels and a negative correlation with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This suggests a link between air quality improvement from the greenness of blocking forests with their capacity to capture PM and respiratory health outcomes, especially for the vulnerable groups to asthma. These findings highlight the need to manage pollutant sources such as transportation and the heating system in residential areas beyond industrial emissions as the point pollution source. The management policies have to focus on protecting vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, by implementing small-sized urban forests to adsorb the PM within the city and establishing blocking forests to prevent PM near the industrial complex.
本研究调查了城市森林在降低颗粒物(PM)浓度方面的作用及其对哮喘护理就诊次数的后续影响。了解防护林的绿化与PM减少之间关系背后的机制对于评估相关的人类健康益处至关重要。本研究利用植被指数和气象变量分析了降低长期PM浓度的影响因素。结果表明,PM的减少始于防护林建立五年后的2011年。年平均PM浓度显著下降,主要受夏季风速和夏季增强植被指数(EVI)驱动,解释了约62%的变化。观察到哮喘护理就诊次数有所减少,这与居民区PM减少趋势以及防护林绿化增加趋势相似。主要由盛行西北风驱动的PM流入城市的情况可能因不断生长的防护林而得到缓解,这有助于减少城市居民中与哮喘相关的医疗就诊次数。特别是自2020年新冠疫情爆发以来,居民区PM/PM比值的增加与哮喘相关医疗就诊次数的增加联系更为紧密。这表明居民区存在另一个PM排放源。儿童(11岁以下)和老年人(65岁以上)的哮喘护理就诊次数与PM水平呈强正相关,与归一化植被指数(NDVI)呈负相关。这表明防护林绿化改善空气质量及其捕获PM的能力与呼吸健康结果之间存在联系,尤其是对于哮喘弱势群体而言。这些发现凸显了除工业排放这一重点污染源之外,还需管理居民区交通和供暖系统等污染物源。管理政策必须侧重于保护弱势群体,如儿童和老年人,通过实施小型城市森林来吸附城市内的PM,并建立防护林以防止工业园区附近的PM。