The Impact of Street Tree Height on PM2.5 Concentration in Street Canyons: A Simulation Study

Abstract

With the rapid development of cities and the rapid increase in automobile ownership, traffic has become one of the main sources of PM2.5 pollution, which can be reduced by road greening through sedimentation, blocking, adhesion, and absorption. Using the method of combining field monitoring and ENVI-met simulation, the influence of the tree height on the PM2.5 concentration on both sides of the city streets was discussed. The influence of tree height on PM2.5 under five conditions was analyzed, including 10 m tall trees (i), 15 m tall trees (ii), alternating distribution of 15 and 10 m tall trees (iii), 5 m tall trees (iv), no trees on either side of the road (v). The results show that: Roadside trees can increase the concentration of PM2.5 in the narrow space of street canyons. However, without roadside trees, PM2.5 from traffic sources is not reduced in time, it is more easily spread to the distance. When the height of the roadside trees is 5 m and their crown widths are smaller than those of other trees, there is a relatively wide space between them. Compared with the higher roadside tree models with larger crown widths, the concentration of PM2.5 on the roadway and the downwind sidewalk is relatively low. In the three models (i–iii) with tree height above or equal to 10 m, the PM2.5 concentration around the trees do not show regular change with the change in tree height. Due to the tree height of 10 and 15 m, the crown width is large enough, and the alternate distribution of tree height of 15 and 10 m fails to make the PM2.5 concentration in the models lower than the models with tree height of 15 m or 10 m. The reasonable height of roadside trees in street canyons helps improve the wind circulation to promote the diffusion of PM2.5 pollution. There is no optimal height of roadside trees for PM2.5 pollution in street canyons, thus it is necessary to select the height reasonably according to the specific situation.