Absorption Ability of Particulate Matter in Leaves of Street Trees in Jinju City

This study was carried out to provide preliminary information to grasp how many particulate matter (PM) which is a problem in urban area are absorbed and removed by street trees. The morphology, size and element composition of PM deposited on leaves of five street trees (Quercus glauca, Q. myrsinaefolia, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata var. spontanea, and Pinus densiflora) in Jinju city, South Korea were analyzed. The size of PM was classified into three as PM2.5 (0.2~2.5 μm), PM10 (2.5~10 μm), and PM100 (10~100 μm). The element composition of PM deposited on the leaves at the study sites mainly comprised of O, C, N, Si, and Al. The PM at industrial area and university campus was irregular and spherical shape, respectively. Total PM accumulated on the leaf surfaces of P. densiflora was 71.65 μg/cm² at industrial area and 40.66 μg/cm² at university campus, which was significantly higher than the other species. The ratio of PM2.5, PM10, and PM100 deposited on the leaves was 9.2%, 37.0%, 53.8% at industrial area and 15.8%, 27.1%, 57.1% at university campus, respectively. P. densiflora deposited the most PM2.5, PM10 and PM100 in leaf wax at the study sites, which was significantly higher than the other species.