This research outcome is reassuring the positive impact of trees on human health. However, it is still controversial as the article itself cites another study which has found negative impact of trees on air pollution which emanates a compound that helps produce lung-damaging particulate matter. This indicates further research is necessary to examine the impact of trees on air pollution which is inevitably interlinked to human health.

One setback of the new study is potential generalization errors associated with the overall impact of trees. Most likely, further research will have to focus more on various impacts of diverse kinds and maturity stages of trees. These should also be dependent upon the climate and season under which the threes are growing. Another confounding factor could be other types of environmental aspects such as wind, soil and temperature which may characterize the impact of trees on the air quality.

Be controversial as it may, the argument should not be solely focused on direct impact of trees on air pollution. Given that trees help sustain soil cohesion against the threat of floods and strong winds, and protect against the depletion of Ozone layer as evidenced by the case of Amazon forests, positive impacts of trees should go far beyond what the trees offer for less amount of air pollution. A holistic approach in this regard would provide a fuller understanding of trees? impact, by capturing important, unmissable factors.    

Article Link:

http://www.nbcnews.com/science/environment/trees-save-more-850-lives-year-forest-service-study-says-n166971