Current World Environment

In order to assess biochemical parameters of plants and their tolerance to air pollution in Baddi industrial hub of Solan district of Himachal Pradesh a field survey was conducted in Baddi industrial region. To determine spatial effect of industrialization three commonly occurring plant species namely Azadirachta indica, Leucaena leucocephal and Dalbergia sissoo were selected at different distances viz. 0-100 m, 100-200 m, 200-400 m, 400-800 m and > 800 m. Too assess the effect of seasons on the response of plants to face air pollution summer, rainy and winter months were taken. The field experiment was arranged in factorial randomized block design by taking total of 45 treatment combinations which were replicated four times. The biochemical parameters like ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, pH and relative water content were studied by using standard methods and based on these parameters the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was evaluated during rainy, winter and summer seasons. The plant species wise variation in leaf ascorbic acid, total chlorophyll, pH and relative water content was in the range of 5.08-8.42 mg g-1,1.36-1.59 mg g-1,6.25-6.36 and 65.69-67.63% respectively. All the selected plants exhibited spatial and seasonal variations in their biochemical parameters. Leaf chlorophyll, pH and RWC increased with increasing distance and leaf ascorbic acid decreased with increasing distance. The APTI of the plants species followed the order A .indica > L .leucocephal > D.sissoo with respective values of 13.08, 11.61, 10.68. A.indica with highest index emerged as tolerant species and therefore should be selected for developing green belt in the industrial area.

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