Long-Term Greenness Effects of Urban Forests to Reduce PM 10 Concentration: Does the Impact Benefit the Population Vulnerable to Asthma?

This study investigates the effect of urban forests in reducing particulate matter (PM) concentrations and its subsequent impact on the number of asthma care visits. Understanding the mechanisms behind the relationship between the greenness of blocking forests and the reduction in PM is crucial for assessing the associated human health benefits. This study analyzed the influencing factors for reducing long-term PM 10 concentrations, utilizing the vegetation index and meteorological variables. Results showed that the reduction in PM 10 began in 2011, five years after the establishment of the blocking forest. The annual mean PM 10 concentrations decreased significantly, driven primarily by summer wind speed and summer Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), explaining approximately 62% of the variation. A decrease in the number of asthma care visits was observed, similar to the trend of PM 10 reduction in the residential area and the increase in the greenness of the blocking forest. The influx of PM into the city, primarily driven by prevailing northwesterly winds, may have been mitigated by the growing blocking forest, contributing to a reduction in asthma-related medical visits among urban residents. In particular, since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the increase in the PM 2.5 /PM 10 ratio in residential areas has become more closely linked to the increase in asthma-related medical visits. It suggests another PM 2.5 emission source in the residential area. The number of asthma care visits among children (under 11) and the elderly (over 65) exhibited a strong positive correlation with PM 10 levels and a negative correlation with the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). This suggests a link between air quality improvement from the greenness of blocking forests with their capacity to capture PM and respiratory health outcomes, especially for the vulnerable groups to asthma. These findings highlight the need to manage pollutant sources such as transportation and the heating system in residential areas beyond industrial emissions as the point pollution source. The management policies have to focus on protecting vulnerable populations, such as children and the elderly, by implementing small-sized urban forests to adsorb the PM 2.5 within the city and establishing blocking forests to prevent PM 10 near the industrial complex.