Vegetation in two London boroughs is absorbing less than a quarter of the national average of pollution.

In Walthamstow, vegetation absorbs 223kg of pollution from the air and in Ilford, around the town hall, only 132kg of pollution – the national average is 5,619kg.

The Office of National Statistics released the figures last week, as well as evidence that pollution absorbed by vegetation has a direct cost-saving benefit for local authorities.

For the 132kg of pollution that plants are absorbing in Ilford and the 223kg in Walthamstow, £13.99 per person is saved across both boroughs in health care costs.

By pollution, the ONS means not just carbon dioxide, but also harmful and cancer-causing substances such as nitrogen dioxide, ground-level ozone, ammonia and sulphur dioxide.

According to the ONS, overall an estimated 1.4 billion kg of air pollutants were removed by woodlands, plants, grasslands and other UK vegetation in 2015.

But more than five times as much particulate matter was emitted in the UK that year as was removed by vegetation.

This pollution removal saved the UK around £1 billion in avoided health damage costs and it is estimated there were 7,100 fewer lung and heart-related hospital admissions, 27,000 fewer life years lost and 1,900 fewer premature deaths in 2015 as result of nature providing this service.

Trees in particular account for the highest volume of air pollutants absorbed by natural vegetation in the UK.

Trees aren’t always good news, however, particularly in urban areas as, depending upon the type of trees and their location, vegetation can trap pollutants under their canopy and can themselves give off harmful substances like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).

To see how much pollution vegetation absorbs in your area, visit the ONS’s interactive map at this website and enter your postcode here.