Mrs Barker's letter (April 16) about planting new trees and preserving others may seem like an obvious solution to solving York's air quality problems.
However, research has shown that not all trees produce cleaner air.
The air quality action plan in York (AQAP) is aimed at reducing concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, arising mainly from vehicles.
Research, such as that carried out by the Institute of Environmental Science at Lancaster University, has shown that some trees such as ash, alder, maple and pine can help reduce concentrations of nitrogen dioxide and other pollutants such as particulates (PM10) but that others, such as oak, can make the situation worse.
To obtain any measurable improvement in local air quality millions of additional trees would be needed.
City of York Council fully recognises the role trees can play in helping to protect and improve the local environment and will continue to support the retention and planting of further trees where appropriate.
While some trees can help "mop up" the emissions we create, the best way of improving air quality is to prevent, or reduce, the level of emissions in the first place. Measures to achieve this are the main focus of York's AQAP.
Elizabeth Bates,
Principal officer, air quality
strategy,
City of York Council,
St Leonard's Place, York.
Updated: 11:12 Tuesday, April 27, 2004
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