During heat waves – when ozone production rises – plants'
ozone absorption is curtailed, leaving more pollution in the air, and costing
an estimated 460 lives in the UK in the hot summer of 2006.
Vegetation plays a crucial role in reducing air pollution,
but new research by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) at the University
of York shows that they may not protect us when we need it most: during extreme
heat, when ozone formation from traffic fumes, industrial processes and other
sources is at its worst.