Scientists say this ‘super plant’ could help soak up pollution on busy roads

Plants by the side of the road play an important part in absorbing vehicle emissions. Nine-in-10 people around the world live somewhere that has air quality below levels recommended by the World Health Organization. Polluted air is killing millions of people every year , knocking several years off life expectancy for many many children and triggering debilitating respiratory conditions. Sources of dirty air include industrial emissions, the burning of fossil fuels, and other contaminants in peoples homes, and a variety of travel and transport activities. In many towns and cities, one of the most apparent and obvious causes of air pollution is the motor car. Now, the UK’s Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) says it has identified a potential ‘super plant’ that could be effective in absorbing emissions from heavy traffic. Dense, hairy vegetation The Cotoneaster franchetii is a dense, evergreen shrub with thick, glossy dark green leaves that are covered in tiny hair-like fibres. Compared with other plants commonly found in the UK, the orange cotoneaster, as it is sometimes called, is ”at least 20% more effective at soaking up pollution.” The RHS found that a one-metre length of dense cotoneaster shrubbery could soak up an amount of pollution […]

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