Spain: Urban orchards can improve citizens’ health
Urban orchards proliferate more and more. Generally conceived as more of a leisure activity than food production, these green areas have a “healthy” effect on cities, since they help to filter air pollutants and to improve air quality, among others.
Urban orchards can improve citizens’ health by helping to reduce the impact of cities on climate change and to improve air quality, according to a study by the Polytechnic University of Madrid.
All this is explained by the researchers involved in the study “Impacts of urban orchards in the city of Madrid”, although the report data can be “perfectly extrapolated” to other cities where there are also urban orchards.
It has quantified the role of urban orchards facing the climate change and air pollution, in addition to analyzing the soil quality of these areas.
They generate changes in consumption habits with positive repercussions on the environment, which “ can reduce the individual carbon footprint by 10%”.
The authors state that “ urban orchards have a transforming potential of society”.
With regards to air pollution, researchers highlight the role of urban orchards in improving air quality, as plants operate as air filters and absorb pollutants generated by traffic, homes and industries.
More specifically, the study has analyzed the absorption of tropospheric ozone and nitrogen dioxide.
On the other hand, by avoiding health problems due to a better air quality, the city of Madrid saves the equivalent of €40,000 per year. In Madrid, there are more than 200 urban orchards, “ with which we can get an idea of the potential they have for the quality of life of their citizens”.
Source: efeagro.com