Particulate Pollution Mitigating Ability of Some Plant Species

Abstract

Foliar surface of plants is continuously exposed to the surrounding\natmosphere and is, therefore, the main receptor of particulate\npollutants. This physical trait can be used to determine the level of\nparticulate pollution in the surroundings, as well as the ability of\nindividual plant species to intercept and mitigate particulate\npollutants. In the present study, leaf cuticle characters of four\ncommon roadside plant species, namely Bougainvillea 'Mahara',\nTerminalia arjuna (Roxb.) Wt. and Arn, Cassia fistula Linn, and\nPolyalthia longifolia\tThw. were studied from sites with heavy\nparticulate pollutants in the atm in the trend of T. arjuna (2.31\nmg/cm2)> C. fistula (1.47 mg/ cm2) > B. 'Mahara'(1.33 mg/cm2) and\nP. longifolia (0.97 mg/cm2). The increase in the size and frequency\nofepidermal cells and stomata were observed. Cuticle rupture was a\nmajor injury symptom, that was observed in T. arjuna, C. fistula and P.\nlongifolia while no cuticular damage was not observed in B. "Mahara".\nOn the basis of these observations it can be concluded that B. "Mahara"\nis a dust mitigator and it adsorbs and / or absorbs the pollutants from\nthe environment in which it grows.