title: Spatial distribution assessment of particulate matter in an urban street canyon using biomagnetic leaf monitoring of tree crown deposited particles.
abstract: Recently, biomagnetic monitoring of tree leaves has proven to be a good estimator for ambient particulate concentration. This paper investigates the usefulness of biomagnetic leaf monitoring of crown deposited particles to assess the spatial PM distribution inside individual tree crowns and an urban street canyon in Ghent (Belgium). Results demonstrate that biomagnetic monitoring can be used to assess spatial PM variations, even within single tree crowns. SIRM values decrease exponentially with height and azimuthal effects are obtained for wind exposed sides of the street canyon. Edge and canyon trees seem to be exposed differently. As far as we know, this study is the first to present biomagnetic monitoring results of different trees within a single street canyon. The results not only give valuable insights into the spatial distribution of particulate matter inside tree crowns and a street canyon, but also offer a great potential as validation tool for air quality modelling.
authors.affiliation: PeSTO Research Group, Department of Bio-science Engineering, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerpen, Belgium. Electronic address: Jelle.Hofman@ua.ac.be.
authors.forename: Jelle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hofman
authors.forename: Ines
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Stokkaer
authors.forename: Lies
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Snauwaert
authors.forename: Roeland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Samson
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis*; D001530:Belgium; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D052638:Particulate Matter / Q000032:analysis*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000737:chemistry*; D014197:Trees / Q000737:chemistry*; D014919:Wind
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D052638:Particulate Matter
keywords: Biomonitoring; London plane (Platanus × acerifolia Willd.); PM; SIRM; Urban air pollution