Biochemical changes in plant leaves as a biomarker of pollution due to anthropogenic activity.
The air pollution due to anthropogenic activities seriously affected human life, vegetation, and heritage as well. The vegetation cover in and around the city mitigates the air pollution by acting as a sink for pollution. An attempt was made to evaluate biochemical changes occurred in four selected plant species, namely Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica, Delonix regia, and Cassia fistula of residential, commercial, and industrial areas of Nagpur city in India. It was observed that the correlated values of air pollutants and plant leaves characteristics alter foliar biochemical features (i.e., chlorophyll and ascorbic acid content, pH and relative water content) of plants due to air pollution. The changes in air pollution tolerance index of plants was also estimated which revealed that these plants can be used as a biomarker of air pollution.
Thawale
P R
PR
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Nehru Marg, Nagpur 440 020, India. pr_thawale@neeri.res.in
Satheesh Babu
S
S
Wakode
R R
RR
Singh
Sanjeev Kumar
SK
Kumar
Sunil
S
Juwarkar
A A
AA
D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D031601:Azadirachta / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002366:Cassia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D007194:India; D031022:Mangifera / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000633:toxicity
D000393:Air Pollutants; D015415:Biomarkers; D013458:Sulfur Dioxide; D002734:Chlorophyll; D001205:Ascorbic Acid; D009585:Nitrogen Dioxide