Impact of vertical greening systems on particulate matter in China: a review

Particulate matter (PM) poses major environmental and public health challenges in Chinese cities. This review presents the first comprehensive synthesis of vertical greening systems (VGS) for PM mitigation in mainland China, analysing 17 empirical and ENVI-met simulation studies published between 2004 and 2024. A systematic search of Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, and Google Scholar was carried out in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. The findings show that VGS can reduce PM concentrations and enhance dust retention, with effectiveness influenced by plant traits (e.g., surface roughness, trichomes, leaf area index), structural design (e.g., wall height, width-to-height ratio), and meteorological conditions. Modular living walls proved most effective in semi-enclosed indoor environments, while indirect and direct façades and linear living walls were more effective outdoors, particularly in street canyons. By consolidating fragmented evidence, this review offers new theoretical insights into the mechanisms of PM capture by vegetation and provides practical guidance for integrating VGS into air quality management and sustainable urban planning strategies in mainland China.

Text 125842.pdf - Published Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (2MB) Official URL or Download Paper: https://frsb.upm.edu.my/upload/dokumen/20251104092...

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