Journal of Environmental Biology

Assessment of air pollution tolerance index of some

trees in Moradabad city, India

 

Anamika Tripathi¹, P.B. Tiwari², Mahima¹? and? Dharmveer? Singh¹

¹Ecology? Research? Laboratory, Department of? Botany, Hindu College, Moradabad - 244 001, India

²Department of Botany, S.M. College, Chandausi - 202 412, India

(Received: May 22, 2008; Revised received: July 25, 2008; Accepted: October 11, 2008)

 

 

Abstract: 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.

Key words: Air? pollution tolerance index, Sensitive species, Tolerant species, Moradabad

 

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