The city’s poplars and willows have been identified as the source of an unexpected spike in ozone levels during the heat of the summer.

Beijing’s hundreds of thousands of weeping willows and poplars have been a welcome source of shelter from the fierce summer sun for more than four decades – but they may also be an unexpected source of pollution, according to new research. Scientists warned that this urban greenery may be “choking” the Chinese capital’s 20 million residents by increasing the levels of ozone in the city’s air. Smog caused by the ozone released by car exhaust has been recognised as a public health problem since…

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  • restless [she/her]@hexbear.net
    4·
    2 hours ago

    This is because they produce unusually high levels of isoprene, a volatile organic compound (VOC) that produces ground-level ozone when it reacts with the nitrogen oxide typically produced by vehicles or factories.

    Oh so it’s the fault of cars still