Improving Air Quality with Urban Greening
Focusing on roadside pollution around our schools
and the health of our children.
The government has pledged to bring forward UK air quality commitments in new legislation announced in the October Queen’s speech. Air pollution in the UK is a major cause of diseases such as asthma, lung disease, stroke and heart disease and is estimated to cause forty thousand premature deaths costing around £40 billion each year. Many major cities like London have been reported to be significantly and regularly above legal and recommended levels.
With approximately 4.5 million children in the UK, which equates to one in three, growing up in a town or city with unsafe levels of particulate pollution we all need to work together to find a long-term sustainable solution sooner rather than later!
Earlier this year an experiment was carried out at Lordship Lane Primary School in London and was covered by Channel 4’s Dispatches programme. Hedera Screens were approached to participate in this programme, we were unable to do so owing to project commitments of green screening fellow schools in London.
The programme documented an experiment over a two-week period which saw the school undergo changes to attempt to combat the effects of pollution throughout. The levels of both nitrogen dioxide from exhaust fumes and other particulate matter from brakes and tyres produced by all vehicles (including electric), were measured before and after for comparison. Prior to the experiment, the nitrogen dioxide levels and other particulates around the school were found to be over 50% higher than ‘acceptable’ levels.
For the external anti-pollution measures, replicating those installed in London Schools already - Hedera Helix Ivy Screens, 1.8m high x 1.2m wide were installed as a perimeter solution around the school exterior to attempt to absorb sooty particles from traffic pollution and provide cleaner air for the children when spending time outside. A garden was also created in the playground area featuring various evergreen hedging plants to help supplement the pollution filtering.
At the end of the two-week period, levels were measured again, and the results were nothing short of staggering. In the playground and external areas of the school, the addition of the ivy screens and garden plants had reduced the pollution levels by as much as 53% - a significant reduction within a very short timeframe.
Our air pollution levels paint a frightening picture. However, whilst measures are being taken by the motor industry to reduce pollutants from vehicles, substantial reductions and new government legislation to tackle the problem will all take time. The good news is that we now know there are simple green and anti-pollution measures which can be implemented now and we as an industry can lead the way!
Good air quality is essential for our health, quality of life and the environment. The main causes of air pollution include transport, domestic combustion and industrial processes. The ivy within the green screens traps and absorbs the nitrogen dioxide which acts as a filter barrier to pollution.
The trial evidenced that through the installation of ivy green screens there can be a significant and immediate improvement in air quality. There are many other experiments and studies completed that are widely available on the internet, in particular:
Click below for more information:
Kings College London, following our installation at Bowes Primary School
Our Green Screens Grower and Supplier
Our Greens Screens are grown in the Netherlands and delivered to our nursery in the UK. They provide a simple screening solution for urban environments. They are available in a range of heights up to 3m high and can be extended if required.
They are supplied with their own growing media in place ready for insertion into the ground. The specially selected growing media incorporates a controlled release fertiliser and wetting agents to aid rapid establishment.
Whilst providing extra privacy, Ivy Green Screens can also increase biodiversity by attracting insects, bees, butterflies and birds. Besides being aesthetically pleasing they are proven to reduce air pollution and can also help reduce noise pollution by acting as a vegetative acoustic barrier.
For more information visit 'Green my school' by clicking here
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