RESUMEN
Green vegetation acts as a sink for particulate air pollutants and is considered as ecologically sustainable costeffective strategies to mitigate ill effects of air pollution in industrialized areas and urban environment. In this context,assessment of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) offers simple tool for screening and identifying plants that tolerateair pollution. Six plants commonly growing in the polluted regions of Bengaluru were selected for assessing the airpollution tolerance response. APTI indices of Ocimum sanctum, Ricinus communis, Leucas aspera, Lantana camara,Bougainvillea spectabilis, and Vinca rosea were assessed and compared with the plants grown in non-polluted sitesof Bengaluru to analyze the response to air pollution. APTI correlations with the biochemical and physicochemicalparameters were analyzed to identify the important determinants of air pollution tolerance. Among the parametersassessed ascorbic acid content correlated with APTI scores of plants (R2 0.88). Among the plants evaluated, highAPTI of >23 was recorded in B. spectabilis and V. rosea, indicating that these plants are tolerant to air pollutants atthe collected sites. O. sanctum recorded lowest APTI of 8.77–9.42, indicating that these plants are sensitive to airpollutants and can be used for biomonitoring the air pollution. L. aspera, V. rosea, and B. spectabilis with APTI scoreof >16 can be used as green belt in polluted areas.
RESUMEN
Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) calculated for various plant species growing in vicinity of three different industrial areas (Paper mill, Sugar mill, Thermal Power Plant) and Yamuna River belt of Yamuna Nagar. Studies were carried out to determine the physiological response of ten plant species. The leaf samples collected from these plant species were used to determine their plant APTI by calculating the ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, pH, and relative water content for all selected sites. Highest pH, relative water content, ascorbic acid and total chlorophyll was observed in Castor (9.86), Parthenium (96.99%), Ficus benghalensis (14.90 mg g-1) and Amaranthus (7.08 mg g-1) at Yamuna river, Thermal power plant, Yamuna river and paper mill respectively. It was concluded that out of ten species studied only one species (Ficus benghalensis) showed moderately tolerant response in all selected sites, while other species showed sensitive response. According to observed APTI values, Ficus benghalensis showed the highest value (21.65) at sugar mill followed by thermal power plant (19.38), Paper mill (17.65) and Yamuna River (17.61). The lowest APTI values were reported in Oxalis corniculata (6.42) at Yamuna River belt followed by Malvestrum at sugar mill (7.71).
RESUMEN
Being the second largest manufacturing industry in India, cement industry is one of the major contributors of suspended particulate matter (SPM). Since plants are sensitive to air pollution, introducing suitable plant species as part of the greenbelt around cement industry was the objective of the present study. Suitable plant species were selected based on the Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) calculated by analyzing ascorbic acid (AA), pH, relative water content (RWC) and total chlorophyll (TChl) of the plants occuring in the locality. Plants were selected within a 6 km radius from the industry and were graded as per their tolerance levels by analyzing the biochemical parameters. From the statistical analysis at 0.05 level of significance a difference in the APTI values among the 27 plant species was observed, but they showed homogenous results when analysed zone wise using one-way analyses of variance. Analyses of individual parameters showed variation in the different zones surrounding the cement industry, whereas the APTI value (which is a combination of the parameter viz. AA, RWC, TChl, pH) showed more or less same gradation. Significant variation in individual parameters and APTI was seen with in the species. All the plants surrounding the cement industry are indicative of high pollution exposure comparable to the results obtain for control plants. Based on the APTI value, it was observed that about 37% of the plant species were tolerant. Among them Mangifera indica, Bougainvillea species, Psidum quajava showed high APTI values. 33% of the species were highly susceptible to the adverse effects of SPM, among which Thevetia neriifolia, Saraca indica, Phyllanthus emblica and Cercocarpus ledifolius showed low APTI values.15% each of the species were at the intermediary and moderate tolerance levels.
RESUMEN
To develop the usefulness of plants as bioindicators requires an appropriate selection of plant species which entail an utmost importance for a particular situation. In the present study a periodic evaluation of air pollution tolerance index [APTI] of selected tree species such as Polyalthia longifolia, (Sonner) Thw., Alstonia scholaris, R. Br., Mangifera indica, L., and shrubs Clerodendron infortunatum, L., Eupatorium odoratum, L., and Hyptis suaveolens, (L.) Poit., growing adjacent to the National Highway – 47 passing through Thiruvananthapuram District which lies on the south-west coast of India, was carried out with a view to find out the air pollution tolerance as well as sensitivity of the plant species during different seasons. Among the trees in the roadside areas studied, Polyalthia longifolia, (Sonner) Thw., expressed highest APTI values and proved to be a tolerant variety and the others as sensitive species to air pollutants. In the case of shrubs, Clerodendron infortunatum, L., exhibited highest APTI values (7.34) and found to be more tolerant compared to the other two shrub species studied.
RESUMEN
To see the relative tolerance of the plant species, ten different plant species i.e. Ficus rumphii, Pongamia pinnata, Alstonia scholaris, Holoptelea integrifolia, Saraca indica, Pithecolobium dulcis, Cassia simea, Bauhinia variegata, Azadirachta indica and Grewelia robusta was taken from residential (SI), industrial (SII) and commercial (SIII) area of the city as this flora is very much common to the Brass city and is planted on the roadside. The quality of air with respect to SPM,SO2 and NO2 has been also assessed on respective sites to see its effect on biochemical parameters of the leaves i.e. pH, total water content, chlorophyll and ascorbic acid and evaluate the (air pollution tolerance index(APTI) of various plants. It was concluded that Pongamia pinnata 15.8, Pithecolobium dulcis 34.8, Holoptelea integrifolia 55.8 and Saraca indica 52.0 have very high APTI value over control so these are considered as high tolerant tree species, Ficus rumphii 35.7, Azadirachta indica 30.5 and Grewelia robusta 34.3 have slightly more APTI value over control so these are considered as moderately tolerant tree species and Alstonia scholaris 21.5,Cassia simea 6.09 and Bauhinia variegata 18.22 have less APTI value than control, so these are sensitive species respectively. One way ANOVA finds the obtained values to be highly significant (p <0.001) at the industrial site. Thus present findings show that Brass and allied industries are the prominent sources responsible for the elevated level of air pollutants at the industrial site.