Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas

Air pollution in cities is intensifying, inevitably affecting all living organisms, gincluding trees. Urban trees are vital for cities because they improve air quality and regulate the climate; however, like all living organisms, they are affected by the environment to which they are exposed. In cit...

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Main Authors: Alamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia, Tenorio-Sánchez Sergio Arturo, Gómez-Ramírez Marlenne
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Earth
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/2/38
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author Alamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia
Tenorio-Sánchez Sergio Arturo
Gómez-Ramírez Marlenne
author_facet Alamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia
Tenorio-Sánchez Sergio Arturo
Gómez-Ramírez Marlenne
author_sort Alamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia
collection DOAJ
description Air pollution in cities is intensifying, inevitably affecting all living organisms, gincluding trees. Urban trees are vital for cities because they improve air quality and regulate the climate; however, like all living organisms, they are affected by the environment to which they are exposed. In cities, the primary atmospheric pollutants of inorganic origin include NO, SO<sub>X</sub>, CO<sub>X</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, and suspended particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub>). Each of these pollutants impacts population health, with urban trees undergoing a series of consequent alterations. In this study, we review the inorganic pollutants identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as impacting air quality in cities in different regions of the world; discuss the regulations that govern NO<sub>2</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, CO, O<sub>3</sub>, and PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> emissions and their impact they have on urban trees; analyze the processes involved in pollutant–tree interactions and the related tolerance and/or resistance mechanisms; and determine the tree species with the best tolerance, classified using an air pollution tolerance index (APTI).
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institution Kabale University
issn 2673-4834
language English
publishDate 2025-05-01
publisher MDPI AG
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series Earth
spelling doaj-art-e5eb84848d554b6a9a67b0b486aac5722025-08-20T03:27:01ZengMDPI AGEarth2673-48342025-05-01623810.3390/earth6020038Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban AreasAlamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia0Tenorio-Sánchez Sergio Arturo1Gómez-Ramírez Marlenne2Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Cerro Blanco 141, Colonia Colinas del Cimatario, Querétaro 76090, MexicoEscuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de Mexico 11340, MexicoCentro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Cerro Blanco 141, Colonia Colinas del Cimatario, Querétaro 76090, MexicoAir pollution in cities is intensifying, inevitably affecting all living organisms, gincluding trees. Urban trees are vital for cities because they improve air quality and regulate the climate; however, like all living organisms, they are affected by the environment to which they are exposed. In cities, the primary atmospheric pollutants of inorganic origin include NO, SO<sub>X</sub>, CO<sub>X</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, and suspended particulate matter (PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub>). Each of these pollutants impacts population health, with urban trees undergoing a series of consequent alterations. In this study, we review the inorganic pollutants identified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as impacting air quality in cities in different regions of the world; discuss the regulations that govern NO<sub>2</sub>, SO<sub>2</sub>, CO, O<sub>3</sub>, and PM<sub>2.5</sub> and PM<sub>10</sub> emissions and their impact they have on urban trees; analyze the processes involved in pollutant–tree interactions and the related tolerance and/or resistance mechanisms; and determine the tree species with the best tolerance, classified using an air pollution tolerance index (APTI).https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/2/38urban treesurban air pollutionparticulate matterair qualityAPTI
spellingShingle Alamilla-Martínez Diana Grecia
Tenorio-Sánchez Sergio Arturo
Gómez-Ramírez Marlenne
Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
Earth
urban trees
urban air pollution
particulate matter
air quality
APTI
title Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
title_full Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
title_fullStr Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
title_full_unstemmed Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
title_short Review: Implications of Air Pollution on Trees Located in Urban Areas
title_sort review implications of air pollution on trees located in urban areas
topic urban trees
urban air pollution
particulate matter
air quality
APTI
url https://www.mdpi.com/2673-4834/6/2/38
work_keys_str_mv AT alamillamartinezdianagrecia reviewimplicationsofairpollutionontreeslocatedinurbanareas
AT tenoriosanchezsergioarturo reviewimplicationsofairpollutionontreeslocatedinurbanareas
AT gomezramirezmarlenne reviewimplicationsofairpollutionontreeslocatedinurbanareas