The Effect of Urban Green Spaces on Reduction of Particulate Matter Concentration

In an urban scenario, one of the air pollutants most harmful to human health and environmental is the particulate matter (PM). Considering that urban green areas can contribute to mitigating the effects of PM, this work compares the concentration of PM_2.5 in two closer locations in Rio de Janeiro, in order to verify how vegetation cover can actually improve air quality. One is the entrance to the Rebouças Tunnel (RT) and the other is the Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden (RJBG). For this purpose, PM_2.5 samples were taken from September 2017 to March 2018 using a Large Volume Sampler (LVS). The results reveal that RT has a higher concentration of PM_2.5 in almost all samples. The RJBG obtains concentrations around 33% less than the other area, suggesting that the presence of urban green areas like the RJBG can reduce PM_2.5 levels when compared to places with less vegetation cover, providing better air quality.