Progress 08/01/04 to 07/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: 2004: Quantified PM2.5 deposition velocities to leaves of pear, spruce and London plane, both in real time and with visual counts. Observations fall within the expected range yet leaves do not substantially increase deposition efficiency. 2005: Wind tunnel experiments varied leaf size, LAI and density. Density affects deposition more than LAI but the effect is still small. Campaigns near roadways found that particle counts reflect changes in traffic type, but not flow. Measurements under a forest canopy and in a field found no differences. Tests comparing particle counts near an unpaved road, either screened or unscreened by spruce trees found that the vegetated screen affected larger but not smaller particles. 2006: Analysis confirms that deposition velocity and the extinction coefficient for a particle plume is not proportional to LAI, hence model assumptions err. Further, because PM2.5 sums all particles below 2.5 micron diameter it underestimates deposition of the larger particles by 2X. Leaf size, total area and leaf density have negligible influence. Little re-suspension occurs at winds of 45 mph. 3 mm of rain removed all particles. At two schools in S. Bronx, air was cleaner on the roof than at curbside. In a park, 50 m was required to eliminate street effects. A transect through a forest canopy showed that PM2.5 was lower above the canopy. 2006-07: Methods for screening PM for inducing inflammatory cytokines in alveolar macrophage cultures were developed to quantify spatial variation in asthma inducing PM in outdoor landscape. Seminars were presented at UMD Baltimore & at a Workshop on the Urban Atmosphere sponsored by USFS. 2007-08: 5 presentations were made to diverse groups. Findings were posted on 2 websites. A symposium was convened at Weill Cornell Medical College in NYC in June 08 to share findings with scientists, practitioners and managers. In Aug. 08, Whitlow and Extension staff made air quality measurements along Park Ave, NYC over 3 weekends to compare particulate PM levels on days with and without traffic. 2008-09: 2 proposals to integrate field monitoring, atmospheric modeling & immunological response were submitted. A campaign compared the effect of canopy leaf out on PM with an open field. A paper was presented at the 2nd Intl Conf. on Landscape & Urban Horticulture. Among education outputs accomplished 04-09: Project findings were disseminated to South Bronx high school students, who learned about urban environmental issues and the relationship between trees & air quality. High school & college students were reached through education components on local tree mapping and air quality, and a community forum was held to provide hands-on learning opportunities on trees & health of the urban environment. Ext. educators supported T. Whitlow in conducting air quality measurements. Ext. educators developed bilingual Spanish-English program materials reflecting the project's research & education outcomes, and conducted extensive outreach through community forums and education sessions in the Bronx & NYC. A project website was created & updated periodically. Project outcomes were highlighted on Cornell Ext.-NYC's Facebook page. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Tom Whitlow, PI, Cornell Dept. of Horticulture: research and program management. Gretchen Ferenz, PI, Cornell Univ. Coop. Ext.-NYC: program management and implementation. Veronique Lambert, Cornell Univ. Coop. Ext.-NYC: prog. coordination and implementation. Lorraine Brooks, Cornell Univ. Coop. Ext.-NYC: prog. implementation. Emily Gunter-Gayton, Cornell Univ. Coop. Ext.-NYC: prog. implementation. Caroline Tse, Cornell Univ. Coop. Ext.-NYC: program management and implementation. Partner Organizations: Abraham House, NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation, Weill Cornell Medical College, Environmental Defense Fund, The Point Community Development Corp., Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice, For A Better Bronx, Sustainable South Bronx, Office of Congressman Jose E. Serrano, Bronx River Alliance, Bronx Community Boards #2 & 5, NYC Parks GreenThumb, Central Park Conservancy, New York State Commission on National & Community Service, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation, World Vision, Bronx Health Link, Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, East Side House Settlement, Bronx River Alliance, West Bronx Local Development Corp., NYC Dept. of Transportation, Community Markets. Collaborators: Art DeGaetano, Cornell Dept. of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences; Max Zhang, Cornell Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering; Nina Bassuk, Cornell Dept. of Horticulture; Dave Nowak, US Forest Service; Jennifer Greenfeld, NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation; Charles Lord, Urban Ecology Institute; Rich Pouyat, US Forest Service; Stuart Schwartz, Center for Urban Envir. Research & Education, Univ. of Maryland Baltimore Co.; Robert Sliwinski, NYS Dept. of Envir. Conservation Div. of Air Resources; Katherine Squibb, Dept. of Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine, Univ. of Maryland School of Medicine; Marcie Pullman, Cornell Univ. Graduate Student, Dept. of Horticulture; Julia Hillebrandt, Cornell Univ. Undergraduate Student, Dept. of Horticulture. Training or Professional Development: The scientific symposium reached 55 participants, representing scientists, educators, policy-makers, community leaders & management practitioners. Presentations were made by faculty from multiple departments at Cornell University as well as experts in forests, epidemiology, air quality and policy from the mid-Atlantic region. The day culminated with a group discussion on needs and opportunities among presenters and guests. Training was provided to 30 AmeriCorps Volunteers in Jefferson Park, East Harlem, using the Neighborhood Exploration curriculum focused on community green assets and their environmental and health benefits. This event was organized by the NYS Commission on National & Community Service. Workshops were conducted with 20 program staff of Youth Ministries for Peace & Justice and East Side House Settlement on ecosystem services of trees and exploration of their neighborhood's trees and green assets. Project staff members (T. Whitlow, G. Ferenz and C. Tse) participated in the 2nd International Conference on Landscape & Urban Horticulture in Bologna, Italy June 2009 and shared project findings with more than 100 participants in formal and informal sessions. TARGET AUDIENCES: The South Bronx communities of Hunts Point and Mott Haven are highly diverse. According to 2000 Census data for Community Board #1 (Mott Haven), 70.8% of residents are Hispanic and 25.9% are Black/African-American non-Hispanic. In Community Board #2 (Hunts Point), 75.8% of residents are Hispanic and 21.4% Black/African-American non-Hispanic. In 2007, an average of 57.3% of residents in CBs #1 and 2 received some kind of public assistance. According to project partners working in these two communities, there are limited education opportunities for young people (under 18 years), who comprise approximately 35% of the population. Efforts: Education and outreach efforts included development of multiple bilingual print materials and interactive displays, including multiple factsheets ("Ecosystem services of urban trees"; "Street Trees of New York City"), activity sheets ("Neighborhood Tree Exploration"), display boards ("Trees are Great" and "What Tree Am I" activity and display poster), and Activities/Games ("The Birds and The Trees"). Educational sessions were conducted at community forums such as health fairs, environmental events, community board meetings, as well as through direct outreach with non-profit and other community-based organizations, reaching more than 1,700 South Bronx residents and other participants (6,000 were reached through indirect contacts). A scientific symposium involving 55 professionals in science, health, education and policy was held in NYC. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Deposition to leaf surfaces. Cornell researchers made a closed loop wind tunnel which allowed us to monitor the influence of different leaf types and configurations on the extinction of particle plumes injected into the moving air stream in the tunnel. By monitoring discrete particle size classes from 0.3-20 microns and sampling at 6-s intervals, this novel technique yields a real time picture of particle behavior. While researchers found differences in deposition velocity in relation to leaf size (conifers typically have higher deposition velocity than broad leaved species, for example), these differences were small. Additionally, the team found that (1) the amount of leaf area in the wind tunnel has essentially no effect on deposition, hence the common model assumption that deposition is directly proportional to surface area is probably wrong, and (2) adding any amount of leaf surface added to the wind tunnel actually increases the average residence time of particles in the air stream. Essentially, the air stays dirtier longer when leafy branches are in the system. This is likely due to entrainment in downstream eddies. Field experiments. Cornell researchers compared particle concentrations across urban parks and other green spaces along gradients from busy roads, an elevational gradient through a suburban forest canopy, compared particle concentrations on rooftops versus ground level and monitored particle concentrations during periods when vehicular traffic was excluded from Park Avenue for 3 consecutive weekends in August, 2008. Researchers adopted a technique developed for analyzing return frequency of floods in order to interpret stochastic air pollution events. This allows us to characterize different landscape locations in terms of the risk of encountering conditions during which PM concentrations were elevated above background. The project team found that particle concentration decreases sharply with distance from roads even without canopy cover and that ca. 50 meters separation from roads was necessary to decouple fluctuations in particle concentration from conditions originating at curbside; that PM concentration was higher beneath a forest canopy than above it or in a nearby field; and that PM is characteristically higher in the morning than in the afternoon. Links to human health. During 6 field campaigns Cornell researchers collected particles on filters using a cascade impactor to determine their ability to elicit an inflammatory response in alveolar macrophage cultures. Researchers found that ground level samples were more inflammatory than roof top samples; that particles > 10 microns in diameter were more inflammatory than smaller particles; and that samples from parks elicited a greater inflammatory response than samples from the park margins. Through Extension education and outreach, more than 2,000 local residents, students and professionals, including Spanish-speaking populations, were reached through diverse experiential education activities, professional forums and electronic means. Multiple bilingual education tools were developed to share outcomes and implications to communities.
Publications
- Whitlow, T. 2009. "The Role of Urban Vegetation in Filtering Fine Airborne Particulates." Proceedings from the 2nd International Conference on Landscape and Urban Horticulture, Bologna, Italy, June 2009.
- Whitlow, T., Ferenz, G., Brooks, L., Lambert, V., Tse, C. 2009. "Urban Silviculture Research and Education Project" Poster, in English and Spanish. Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC. June 2009.
- Whitlow, T., Ferenz, G., Lambert, V., Tse, C. 2008. "Urban Silviculture Research and Education Project" Poster and Flyer/Fact Sheet, in English and Spanish. Cornell University Cooperative Extension-NYC. July 2008.
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Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During this reporting period we delivered 5 presentations to audiences that included government regulators, public health officials, academic scientists and public advocates. Findings have been posted on 2 web sites and we are in close communication with NY Dept. of Public Health to assist in locating air quality sampling stations in the New York Metro area. A scientific symposium was convened at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City in June 2008, and Urban Silviculture research findings were shared among scientists, practitioners and managers. A white paper of findings and future direction is being developed. Extension educators and an intern supported T. Whitlow in conducting air quality measurements along Park Avenue in Manhattan over 3 weekends in August 2008. Data was collected to compare particulate pollutant levels on days with and without vehicular traffic. Educators also interacted with passersby who expressed interest in the research activity. Extension educators developed a bilingual Spanish-English program poster, as well as a modified half-page flyer, reflecting the project's research and education outcomes in non-technical language for distribution and use with community audiences. Project results were shared with South Bronx, NY residents in educational and interview sessions and through distribution of print material at several community gathering places (Barretto Point Park, St. Mary's Park, Lincoln Hospital Farmers Market, Hunts Point Market, Padre Plaza Community Garden and Market, Abraham House) during Summer 2008. Additionally, materials have been mailed to community partners in the Bronx to share findings. PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Tom Whitlow, PI: research and program management. Gretchen Ferenz, PI: program management and implementation. Veronique Lambert: program implementation. Emily Gunter-Gayton: program implementation. Caroline Tse: program management and implementation support. Partner Organizations: Abraham House; NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation; Weill Cornell Medical College; Environmental Defense Fund; The Point Community Development Corporation; Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice; For A Better Bronx; Sustainable South Bronx; Office of Congressman Jose E. Serrano; Bronx River Alliance; Bronx Community Board #2. Collaborators: Art DeGaetano, Cornell Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. Max Zhang, Cornell Dept. of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. Nina Bassuk, Cornell Dept. of Horticulture. Dave Nowak, US Forest Service. Jennifer Greenfeld, NYC Dept. of Parks & Recreation. Charles Lord, Urban Ecology Institute. Rich Pouyat, US Forest Service. Stuart Schwartz, Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education, University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Robert Sliwinski, NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation Div. of Air Resources. Katherine Squibb, Dept. of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland School of Medicine. Training or Professional Development: The scientific symposium reached 55 participants, representing scientists, educators, policy-makers, community leaders and management practitioners. Presentations were made by faculty from multiple departments at Cornell University as well as experts in forests, epidemiology, air quality and policy from the mid-Atlantic region. The day culminated with a group discussion on needs and opportunities among presenters and guests. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target Audiences: The South Bronx communities of Hunts Point and Mott Haven are highly diverse. According to 2000 Census data for Community Board #1 (Mott Haven), 70.8% of residents are Hispanic and 25.9% are Black/African-American non-Hispanic. In Community Board #2 (Hunts Point), 75.8% of residents are Hispanic and 21.4% Black/African-American non-Hispanic. In 2007, an average of 57.3% of residents in CBs #1 and 2 received some kind of public assistance. According to project partners working in these two communities, there are limited education opportunities for young people (under 18 years), who comprise approximately 35% of the population. Efforts: Outreach efforts included development of bilingual print materials that were shared with project partners and residents. Educational sessions were conducted with more than 100 South Bronx residents. A scientific symposium involving 55 professionals in science, health, education and policy was held in NYC. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Evaluation from stakeholders led to 3 air quality monitoring campaigns in NYC to specifically evaluate air pollution during periods when streets were closed to vehicular traffic. These campaigns included measurement of traffic and ultrafine PM in addition to PM2.5. These new protocols will be incorporated into studies during the coming year. More than 100 South Bronx residents were reached through educational and interview sessions, as well as sharing of print resources. More than 55 symposium participants from the Mid-Atlantic region learned about Urban Silviculture research findings and their implications.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 10/01/06 to 09/30/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: During 2007 field experiments were conducted in Baltimore, Ithaca and the Bronx (with support provided by NYC Extension educators) to quantify attenuation by vegetation of particulate matter (PM) plumes emanating from roadways and regional background sources. Novel methods were developed for quantifying PM removal from leaves and re-suspension and wash off rates of PM from tree species representing a wide spectrum of leaf size and shape were determined. Findings have been presented to interested parties in a seminar presented to the Center for Urban Ecological Research and Extension (CUERE, U. MD Baltimore) and at a workshop on the Urban Atmosphere sponsored by the US Forest Service. Methods for screening size fractioned PM for inducing the proinflammatory cytokines IL4 and IL13 in murine alveolar macrophage cultures are being developed in order to quantify spatial variation in asthma inducing PM in the landscape. Additional Federal funds were secured to support research and
conduct a symposium in NYC to disseminate project results and discuss implications to stakeholders, researchers and agencies, and conduct education/outreach in local targeted communities. Project website is being updated.
PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: PI Tom Whitlow, Associate Professor, Department of Horticulture, Cornell University; Research. PI Gretchen Ferenz, Senior Extension Associate, Cornell Univ. Cooperative Extension-NYC; Education and Project Management. Marcie Pullman, Graduate Student, Department of Horticulture, Cornell; Research. Caroline Tse, Extension Associate, Cornell Univ. Cooperative Extension-NYC; Education and Project Management. Veronique Lambert, Extension Associate, Cornell Univ. Cooperative Extension-NYC; Education. Emily Gunter Gayton, Extension Associate, Cornell Univ. Cooperative Extension-NYC; Education. Partner Organizations: NYC Department of Education; NYC Department of Parks and Recreation. Collaborators and Contacts: Art DeGaetano, Associate Professor, Dept. of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Cornell. Nina Bassuk, Professor, Dept. of Horticulture, Cornell. Juan Anguita, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. Vet. and An. Sci., UMASS, Amherst. Dr. Elizabeth Buckles, Asst. Prof. SUNY Coll.
of Vet. Medicine. Richard Pouyat, Ph.D., USFS, Baltimore Ecosystem Study and CUERE. David Nowak, Ph.D., USFS. John Hom, Ph.D., USFS. Ian Yeslonis, USFS, Baltimore Ecosystem Study and CUERE. Allison Kong, Undergraduate Research Assistant, Dept. of Electrical Engineering, Cornell. Julia Hillabrant, Undergraduate Independent Study, supervised by Dr. Buckles and Prof. Whitlow.
TARGET AUDIENCES: Scientific: USFS Staff Scientists; Atmospheric Scientists; Public Health Scientists; EPA Staff Scientists; Government policy makers. Education: University researchers; University/Extension educators; Industry practitioners;Community organizations/Schools; Public.
Impacts
Novel techniques developed for quantifying PM removal will affect the way others approach evaluating inter-specific differences in particle capture and retention. The differences identified by project researchers are useful not only in relation to the species studied but because our findings can be expressed as continuous functions of leaf characteristics (ie, leaf dimensions) they will also be useful for modeling PM behavior and expanding understanding to a wider range of leaf types than those used in our tests. Short term variation in ambient PM concentration has been treated as "noise" in the past. Our methods allow us to extract information about the return frequency of extreme, acute dose events that have the biggest impact on human exposure during daily activities. This approach aids in quantifying the relative exposure risks in specific locations and the impact of vegetation on ambient PM.
Publications
- Whitlow, T.H., Anguita, J., Pullman, M.R. and Kong, A. 2007. Restoring clean air to cities using tree cover? Proc. Annual Meeting Ecol. Soc. America. Aug 5-10, Santa Clara, CA.
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
We analyzed experimental data, developed techniques to quantify re-suspension, installed a second higher speed wind tunnel, and compared field sites during field monitoring campaigns. Our work reveals problems with common approaches to particle deposition. First, atmospheric models multiply LAI by deposition velocity to determine particle flux to surfaces. In the wind tunnel we know exact leaf area and therefore express deposition relative to actual leaf surface, not an abstract planar area. This proportionates the particles over all surfaces available for deposition. Second, because PM2.5 sums all particles less than 2.5 microns in diameter it underestimates deposition of the larger particles in this aggregate class. By calculating extinction coefficients (k) for discrete size classes, we found that the 2.0-3.0 fraction leaves the air stream twice as fast as the 0.3-0.4 fraction. Leaf size, total area and leaf density have negligible influence on k. Our original plan
to measure re-suspension from leaf surfaces using a stable isotope of nitrogen (15N) was a surprising failure because the mass of 15N on the leaf surfaces was below the detection limit of the mass spectrometer. Instead, we used KNO3 milled to the PM2.5 range. We dosed particles to leaves in our larger tunnel and then attempted to remove particles in a second, high speed wind tunnel. Leaves were removed at intervals, the KNO3 washed from the leaf surface into distilled water and its concentration was estimated from the specific conductance of the wash solution. Findings were ambiguous, but there appears to be little re-suspension even at wind speeds of 45 mph. Field measurements compared street level PM2.5 with roof top PM2.5 adjacent to NYSDEC monitors; horizontal transects across St. Mary's Park in Mott Haven; and vertical transects through a forest canopy. At two schools in the South Bronx, PM2.5 was lower on the roof than at street level, suggesting that official air quality data
likely underestimates pedestrian exposure. In St. Mary's Park, we found that PM2.5 was largely unaffected by street events at a point 20 m from the curb. The vertical transect showed that PM2.5 were consistently lower above the canopy than below, indicating that trees do not have an umbrella effect on surfaces beneath their canopies. In 2006, we planned and conducted a community forum with 6 partner organizations to provide hands-on learning opportunities focused on trees and health of the urban environment. Formal outreach education involved 47 local high school students, focusing on the benefits of trees and environmental problems in the South Bronx, such as the scarcity of green open space and the effects of pollution on asthma, via peer education during a health fair and ongoing hands-on tree care activities. Outreach to educate the public about air quality in New York City involved 3 interns using air quality equipment and real-time data, and creation of a web page. Overall, more
than 400 people were reached through education and outreach activities in 2006. A Federal review of the overall project (2001-2006) was conducted in Ithaca, NY.
Impacts
Results from this study will greatly increase our mechanistic understanding and the practical limits of vegetation's role in filtering micro-scale particles from the near-ground atmosphere. This knowledge will enhance the accuracy of predictive models used for urban planning (i.e., UFORE) and contribute to more realistic appraisal of the role vegetation plays in urban ecology.
Publications
- Beil, R. S., Whitlow, T. H., Albright, L. D. and Niklas, K. J. 2006. Urban trees: filters for PM2.5? Proceedings Conf on Emerging Issues along Urban/Rural Interfaces: Linking Science and Society, Auburn Univ. D. N. LaBand, Ed. March 13-16, 2005.
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Progress 08/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
Building on previous research, during the reporting period (August to December 2004) Project Investigators made direct, quantitative measurements of PM 2.5 deposition velocities to leaves of pear, spruce and London planetree, both in real time in a wind tunnel and using post hoc visual counts of fluorescent tracers under a UV microscope. Real time measurements also reveal the decay in ambient [PM2.5], re-suspension rates and the steady state particle counts in the air that are established under different treatment regimes (different species, variable leaf densities). Our observations fall within the range of reports in the literature; however, despite the fact that particles deposit on leaves, this does not appear to cause a meaningful reduction in the airborne concentration. During the 5-month reporting period, educators and researchers reached more than 300 residents and other stakeholders through ongoing engagement in local communities and professional forums, and
youth in local schools, field programs, and on the Cornell campus, to communicate complex and counterintuitive findings directly to those on whom the information will have the greatest impact, as well as to engage in community action to heighten local awareness and improve conditions. Research findings were presented to the National Urban and Community Forestry Advisory Council (Oct. 14, New York City) and Center for Urban Resources and Education (Dec. 10, University of Maryland, Baltimore). Principal Investigators/Collaborators met once during the reporting period to discuss progress, and expand opportunities for web site development (www.cce.cornell.edu/programs/urbansilviculture), synergistic project activity, as well as future program direction.
Impacts
Results from this study will greatly increase our mechanistic understanding and the practical limits of vegetation's role in filtering micro-scale particles from the near-ground atmosphere. In turn, this knowledge will enhance our ability to use plants strategically in the urban setting.
Publications
- DeGaetano, A.T., and Doherty, O.M. 2004. Temporal, spatial and meteorological variations in hourly PM2.5 concentration extremes in New York City. Atmospheric Environment, Volume 38, Issue 11, April 2004, Pages 1547-1558.
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