Site new care homes near trees and away from busy roads to protect residents’ lungs, says new study

To shield older residents from dangerous air pollution, new care homes should be built as far from heavy traffic as possible, according to a new study from the University of Surrey.

Researchers also found that trees planted between the homes and the road could significantly mitigate the impact of air pollution.

Older adults in care settings can be especially vulnerable to poor quality air. Our study confirms that building care homes next to busy roads without adequate tree planting can significantly increase their exposure to deadly fine particle pollution.

We hope planners will be able to use our findings to make sure care homes are built in safer locations – striking the right balance between the convenience of urban living and better air quality. Professor Prashant Kumar, Co-Director, Institute for Sustainability, Professor and Chair in Air Quality and Health; Founding Director, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE)

road sign warning that older people are crossing the road

Researchers studied three care homes in the Chinese city of Nanjing. They measured fine particle pollution (PM_2.5) at various locations in and around the care homes.

They found that the amount of pollution inside the care home decreased exponentially, the further it was from the road.

Our study gives so many useful insights into where to build new care homes.

For instance, there was a significant relationship between outdoor and indoor pollution. This tells us that bedrooms should be kept on the far side of the building where possible. Huaiwen Wu, Postgraduate research student, Sustainability Fellow at the Institute for Sustainability