Evaluation of some plant species in biomonitoring air pollution.
Tinku Ghosh, Ambarish Mukherjee
Author Affiliation: Department of Botany, Burdwan University, Burdwan 713 104, India.
Environment and Ecology 21 : 747-751
Abstract : Thirteen species (viz., Couroupita guianensis, Dolichandrone stipulata, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Ficus benghalensis, Lagerstroemia speciosa, Mangifera indica, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Pongamia pinnata, Quisqualis indica, Saraca asoca, Schleichera oleosa, Swietenia mahagoni and Tabernaemontana coronaria [T. divaricata]) selected in and around Golapbag-Tarabag Campus in Burdwan, West Bengal, India, were used to assess the air pollution tolerance index (APTI). The parameters for determination of APTI were pH, relative water content, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid contents of leaf samples. Based on APTI values, D. stipulata, L. speciosa, M. indica, Saraca asoca and Schleichera oleosa were grouped as intermediately tolerant species while the 8 other species were sensitive.