Recent research has determined that the costs of reforesting land, which can then serve as a natural air pollution scrubber, is comparable to the costs of current mechanical techniques.

Looking at a greener method of meeting emission control regulations, Dow Chemical has teamed with the Nature Conservancy to explore the feasibility of reforesting land downwind from its factories. It was recently reported that the collaborative effort has pegged the cost of cleaning a ton of nitrogen oxide through reforestation at $2,400 to $4,000, compared with $2,500 to $5,000 using mechanical scrubbers.

The alliance was formed in 2011when the two giants began a six-year plan to identify ways the chemical company could use more natural resources and still save money.

Since trees capture pollution through their leaves, the hope is that reforestation, possibly combined with traditional methods, can provide a cost-effective solution for meeting air pollution standards.

The research has estimated that over 30 years, a 1,000-acre forest would remove four to seven tons of nitrox oxide a year. Mechanical equipment removes 50 to 70 tons annually, meaning it would take a 10,000-acre forest to replace an average scrubber. The researchers feel that in areas where open land is readily available, like the Texas Gulf Coast, this equation is cost-effective if the land can be borrowed or donated.

More research and peer reviews are being conducted and any formal plan would require state and federal
approval before moving forward. Making this natural effort quantifiable and enforceable could present
insurmountable hurdles.