AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDICES OF FEW PLANTS GROWING NEAR RAIGARH (INDIA)

Transcription

1 AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDICES OF FEW PLANTS GROWING NEAR RAIGARH (INDIA) S. Tiwari* 1 and M. Tiwari 2 1. Govt. Arts and Comm. College, Bhopal (INDIA) 2. Research Laboratory of Botany, Saifia Science College, Bhopal. (INDIA) Received May 2, 2006 Accepted October 13, 2006 ABSTRACT For evaluation of Air Pollution tolerance Indices of plants, four parameters namely ascorbic acid, leaf extract ph, relative water content and total chlorophyll were determined and computed in formula to get the susceptibility levels of plants. Plants having high index value were sensitive. The former can serve as sink and the later as indicator for the abatement of air pollution in industrial area. Results revealed Ficus glomerata to be tolerant and Acacia nilotica to be sensitive species. Key Words : Ascorbic acid, Ecological model, APTI value, Economic value, Tolerance. INTRODUCTION We are so much obsessed and possessed of industrial growth that our natural environment has undergone many ramifications and diversions. It s pristine glory and vigour, vitality and utility has been completely lost. India s main problem of pollution is due to the fact that her industrial units are located in densely populated urban area. Industrial complexes have been located close to be residential areas without considering the consequences of environmental pollution. Concomitantly selection and growing of the resistant plant species is another facet of the problem of pollution. The cultivation of such species in the polluted habitat leads to rapid amelioration of habitat to cope with the polluted environment. Such plant can effectively be used as indicators and pollutant scavangers. The effects emanating from pollution hazards are results of natural selection through which pollution resistant genotype are allowed to survive. 1 Cultivation of tress can serve to be an effective and economical device for the abatement of air pollution. Planting of certain fast growing trees, which are resistant to and can with stand the increasing air pollution will be significantly useful for the air pollution control. 2,3,4 * Author for correspondence 129

2 To screen plants for their sensitivity/ tolerance level to air pollution, a proper selection of plants characteristics is of vital importance. Air pollution tolerance levels of each plant do not show uniform behaviour. The tolerance depending upon topography and pollution condition may be either stress avoidance or stress sensitive. In present study the susceptibility levels of different plants have been determined on the basis of their Air Pollution Tolerance Indices. The plants with low index value were sensitive to air pollution and vice versa. Where the former can be planted as indicator species and the later as tolerant sink to mitigate pollution. MATERIAL AND METHODS Patrapali, where the Iron and Steel industry is located is 11 Km. away from Raigarh and situated at N latitude and 23 21' E longitude, in the Raigarh District of Madhya Pradesh at an elevation of 220 mts. from mean sea level. The kiln dust is a mixture of aluminium, calcium, iron, magnesium and sulphur-di-oxide. For investigation leaves from top, middle and base canopy of plants were collected in the forenoon between 07 : 00 and 08 : 00 hrs. around 1-2 Kms. area of industry and control was taken 15 kms. away from the industry. A care was taken for all plants undergoing investigation should have isoecological condition with respect to light, water, soil and pollutant exposure. To determine the tolerance level of a plant species to industrial air pollution leaf extract ph, ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll and relative water content were analysed and Air pollution Tolerance indices of plants were evaluated. Total chlorophyll was determined following. 5 Relative water content was estimated following. 6 Ascorbic acid was estimated by the method. 7 The leaf extract ph was measured using a digital ph meter. Air pollution Tolerance Indices of tree species were calculated. 3 APTI = A (T+P) + R 10 Where : A = ascorbic acid content of leaf mg/g dry wt. T = total chlorophyll content of leaf mg/g fresh wt. P = leaf extract ph R = percent relative water content of leaf. The total sum is divided by 10 to get a manageable value. S.. No Plant Species RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Total Chlorophyl l Leaf Extract ph 130 Ascorbic Acid Relative Water content APTI C P C P C P C P C P Acacia catechu Acacia nilotica Adina cordifolia Aegle marmelos Ailanthus excelsa Annacardium occidentale Annona squamosa Anthocephalous cadamba

3 Artrocarpus integrifolius Azadirachta indica Bauhinia variegata Bombax malabaricum Bougainvillea spectabilis Buchnania lanzan Butea monosperma Carica carandus Casuarina equisetifolia Citrus aurantifolium Citrus reticulata Cordia myxa Dalbergia sissoo Diospyros melanoxylon Embica officianllis Eucalyptus globus Eucalyptus hybrid Ficus benghalensis Ficus gibbosa Ficus glomerata Ficus religiosa Gmelina arborea Grevia asiatica Hibiscus rosasinensis Litchi chinensis Madhuca latifolia mangifera indica Moringa pterygosperma Nerium indicum Pithocelobium dulce Pomani regia Pongamia pinnata Psidium guava Ricinus communis Saraca indica Shorea robusta Eugenia jambolana Tamarindus indica

4 Tectona grandis Terminalia arujuna Terminalia bellerica Terminalia chebula Terminalia tomentosa Zizyphus jujuba Table-1 : Air Pollution Tolerance Indices of few plants of Raigarh (INDIA) Where : C = Control P = Polluted Total Chlorophyll = mg/gm fresh weight Ascorbic acid = mg/gm dry weight relative water content (%) Ascorbic acid The ascorbic acid content was maximum 7.18 mg/g dry wt. in Ficus glomerata and minimum 0.42 mg/g dry wt. in Acacia nilotica. Ascorbic acid being a strong reductant protects Chloroplasts against SO 2 induced H 2 O 2, O 2 and OH accumulation and thus protects the enzymes of the CO 2 fixation cycle and chlorophyll for inactivation 8 together with leaf ph it play a significant role in determining the SO 2 sensitivity of plants. 9 Thus, plant maintaining high ascorbic acid under pollutant conditions are considered to be tolerant to air pollution. 10 Total Chlorophyll Total chlorophyll was found maximum 7.22 mg/g fr.wt. in Annacardium occidentale and minimum 0.64 mg/g fr. wt. in Bombax malabarica. Chlorohyll is the index of productivity in plants 11 decreases under pollution stess. 12 The inhibitory effect of SO 2 on photosynthetic CO 2 exchange has been well documented. Plants appearing green and normal at low concentration of O 2 show reduced efficiency of photosynthesis. 13,14 Thus plants having high chlorophyll content under field conditions are generally tolerant to air pollution. The decrease in foliar chlorophyll concentration in plants might be due to the destruction of chlorophyll 15 reversible swelling of thyllakodis. 16 Inhibition of RuBp carboxylase. 17 Leaf extract ph : The leaf extract ph was found maximum 7.8 and minimum 2.8 in Ficus glomerata and Emblica officinal is respectively in polluted area. Leaf extract ph plays a significant role in regulating SO 2 sensitivity of plants 18,19 have reported that in presence of an acidic pollutant the leaf ph is lowered and the decline is greater in sensitive species. A shift in cell sap ph towards the acid in presence of an acidic pollutant might decrease the efficiency of conversion of hexose sugar to ascorbic acid. However the reducing activity of ascorbic acid is ph controlled being more at higher and less at lower ph. Hence the leaf extract ph on the higher side give tolerance to plants against pollution. 20 Relative water Content The relative water content was found maximum in Ficus glomerata and minimum in Aegle marmelos. Relative water content is associated with protoplasmic permeability in cells causes loss of water and dissolved nutrients, resulting in early senescence of leaves. 21 More water in a leaf will help to maintain it s physiological balance under stress conditions of air pollution. When the transpiration rates are usually high. Higher relative water content favours drought resistance in plants. 22 Air Pollution Tolerance Indices : The air pollution tolerance indices of Acacia nilotica 132

5 was 5.21 the minimum and maximum of in Ficus glomerata. Plants vary considerably with their susceptibility levels to air pollutants. It was found that plants with low index values were generally sensitive to air pollutants and vice versa. Cultivation of such specie in polluted habitats leads to rapid amelioration of habitats to cope with the polluted environment. Such plants can effectively be used as indicators and pollutant scavengers. 3,4,14,23 According to present study the results revealed that Ficus glomerata can be planted as tolerant and Acacia nilotica as sensitive species to mitigate pollution. CONCLUSION On the basis of above data a suggestive ecological model round an industrial complex is proposed to ensure a relatively pollution free environment worth for human habitation. 1. Both types of plants to be grown some with high APTI value (sink) others with low APTI value (bioindicators). 2. Plants are to be grown in such a way so that the colour spectrum round the industrial area can be drawn in advance. 3. Plants with some economic value can be selected. 4. Plants should not have any damaging role to play like release of allergic pollen in large amount. 5. Aesthetic plants should be selected. 6. Canopy structure should be dense and leaf area should be large. Eco Planning Model On the basis of above data, a suggestive ecological model round an industrial complex is to ensure a relatively pollution free environment worth for human habitation. 1. Both types of plant to be grown some with high APTI value (sink) and others with low APTI value (bioindicators). 2. Plants are to be grown in such a way so that the colour specturm round the industrial area can be drawn in advance. 3. Such plants can be selected which have some economic value. 4. Plant should not have any damaging role to play like release of allergic pollen in large amount. 5. Aesthatic plants should be selected. 6. Canopy structure should be dense and leaf area should be large. 133

6 Explanation to Eco Planning Model 1. The innermost belt should lie closest to the industry and should be of m, thickness comprising of plants with high APTI A. occidentale, A. cadamba, F. bengalemaris, F. glomerata, T. arjuna. 2. The second belt of about mt. width should have a few tress with high APTI and majority of trees with a moderate value of APTI A. Intergrigolius, B. Ianzan, D. melanoxylon, G. asiatica, M. indica & of Zone The interior belt of about 20 m width should be planted with trees having moderate APTI value but high aesthetic value A. indica, A. excelsa, B. monosperma & trees of firdt & second zone as interceptive. 4. A buffer belt to be planted even exterior to the third belt with profuse plantation of mixed type of trees, some highly tolerant some susceptible ones and others as moderate. 5. A few sensitive species grown in all the three vegetational belts to act as indicators. 6. Distance of 1.0 metre between plant to plant and row to row be maintained. REFERENCES 1. Mansfield T.A. Effects of air pollutants on plants Camb. Univ., Pr., Cambridge (1976). 2. Warren J.L., Green Space for air pollution control, N.C. State University Sch. for resource Tech. Rep. 50 Raleigh.N.C. (1973). 3. Singh S.K. and Rao D.N. Evaluation of plants for their tolerance to air pollution. proc. Symp on Air Pollution Control. Nov. 83, (1983). 4. Tiwari S.L., Studies of Air Pollution Tolerance Indices of some planted trees in urban area of Bhopal with reference to Eco-planning of industrial areas, Ph.D. thesis Barkatullah University, Bhopal (1991). 5. Maclachlan S. and Zalik Plastid structure chlorophyll concerntration and free amino acid composition of a chlorophyll mutant of barley can. J. Bot (1963). 6. Weatherly P.E. Studies in the water relation of the cotton plant. 1. The field measurement of water deficits in leaves New Phytol 49, (1950). 7. Dubey P.S, procedure manual. All India Co-ordinated programme. Air pollution and plants. Deptt. of Env. Govt. of India, New Delhi, India, (1986). 8. Tanaka K., Otusbo T. and Kondo N. Participation of hydrogen peroxide in the inactivation of calvin cycle - SH enzyme in SO 2 fumigated spinach leaves. Plants cell physiology 28, (1982). 9. Chaudhary C.S. and Rao D.N, Study of some factors in plant controlling their susceptibility to SO 2 pollution. Proc. India Natl. Sci. Acad. Part B.46, , (1977). 10. Keller T and Schwanger H. Air pollution and ascorbic acid Rur.J. Forest pathol. 7, (1977). 11. Madison T.D. and Anderson A.H., Agon. J. 55, (1963). 12. Speddiing D.J. and Thomas W.J. Effects of sulphur dioxide on the metabolism of glycollic acid by barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaves. Australian journal of Biological Science 26, , (1973). 13. Varshney S.R.K. Effects of SO 2 on plant processes. Ph.D. thesis J.N. University, New Delhi (1982). 14. Tiwari S.L. and Bansal S. Comparative Air pollution Tolerance Indices of few trees. Ind. J. Env. Hlth. 37 :(4), NEERI, Nagpur (1994). 15. Rabe P. and Kreeb K.H., Oikos 34, (1980). 16. Wellburn A.R., Majernic O and Welburn A.M., Environ poll. 3, 37-49, (1972). 134

7 17. Horsman D.C. and Welburn A.R. Synergistic effect of SO2 and NO2 polluted air upon enzyme activity in pea seedlings. Environ. Poll. 8, (1975). 18. Rao D.N. Use of plants as indicators and monitors of SO 2 pollution. Chem. Age India, 28, (1977). 19. Scholz F. and Reck S. Effects of acids on forest tree as measured by titration in vitro inheritance of buffering capacity in Pices abies. Water, Air and Soil pollution. 8, (1977). 20. Agrawal, S.K. A new distributional function of foliar phenol concentration in the evaluation of plants for their air pollution tolerance index. Acta Ecol. 8 (2), 29-36, (1986). 21. Masuch G., Kicinski H.C., Kettrup A and Boss K.S. single and combined effects of continuous and discontinuous O 3 and SO 2 emission on Norway spruce needless. 1. Historical and cytological changes, International Journal of Environmental Analytical Chemistry. 32, (1988). 22. Dedio, W. Canad J.Pt. Sc. 55, , (1975). 23. Tiwari S.L. Comparative study of Air Pollution Tolerance Index and development of new Environmental performance Index. proc. 9th World Clean Air Congress. Aug. 30, Sept. 4, Montreal Canada, Section 11 D, (1992). DECLARATION BY THE AUTHOR(S) I/We. declare that the manuscript (Full Length Research Paper/Short communication/review paper) entitled submitted to the Journal of Environmental Research And Development, have not been published and have not been submitted for publishing elsewhere, besides manuscript is my/our original work. Moreover, I/we assure to put my/our best efforts for the upliftment of environment. Date : Signature of Author(s) Place : Name(s) in Full 135