LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) - The University of Louisville says it has received $5 million to help fund a study that looks at the connection between a green environment and human health.

The school announced on Tuesday that the National Institutes of Health awarded the Green Heart project a $3 million grant over a five-year period and The Nature Conservancy awarded it a $2 million grant.

The University of Louisville and its partners plan to plant thousands of trees, shrubs and grasses in urban areas and study whether the action removes air pollution and improves human health.

University of Louisville Envirome Institute Director Aruni Bhatnagar says whether trees and other greenery actually have specific quantifiable health-promoting effects has never been rigorously tested.

He says the project could lead to new strategies for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.

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