Plants Play Larger Role Than Thought in Cleaning Up Air Pollution, Research Shows
Date: 17.11.2010
Vegetation plays an unexpectedly large role in cleansing the atmosphere, a new study finds. The research team focused on a class of chemicals known as oxygenated volatile organic compounds (oVOCs), which can have long-term impacts on the environment and human health.
How do plants absorb such large quantities of these chemicals?
The team found that when the study trees were under stress, either because of a physical wound or because of exposure to an irritant such as ozone pollution, they began sharply increasing their uptake of oVOCs.
The uptake of oVOCs, the scientists concluded, appeared to be part of a larger metabolic cycle.
Original Paper:
T. Karl, P. Harley, L. Emmons, B. Thornton, A. Guenther, C. Basu, A. Turnipseed, K. Jardine. Efficient Atmospheric Cleansing of Oxidized Organic Trace Gases by Vegetation. Science, 2010; DOI: 10.1126/science.1192534
Source:
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=117919&org=OLPA&from=news
