Effect of air pollution on certain biochemical parameters of Acacia arabica L.
Neha. K. Sharma
Department of Botany, Govt. M.L.B. Girls P.G. (Autonomous) College, Bhopal (India) Phone no: +91 9424085153 Fax No: (07272) 400597 Email: nehaksharma01@gmail.com
ABSTRACT
The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of air pollutants viz. SO2, NO2 and TSPM on biochemical parameters of Acacia arabica L. grown at different sites in Dewas city. The sites are, the dense forest of Bagli (T1), Agra - Bombay National Highway No. 3 passing through Dewas (T2) and Industrial Area, Indore road, Dewas (T3). The ambient levels of air pollutants were found lowest in dense forest (T1), which is taken as Control for comparing the response pattern of other two sites. The API value of Highway T2 was maximum, and it fell in the heavily polluted category whereas the API value of Industrial area indicated it, to be a moderately polluted site. Three biochemical parameters, chlorophyll content, ascorbic acid content and protein content were estimated from the plants of three sites and the results were compared with control. All the parameters were found significantly inhibited due to pollution stress. The findings were retested by taking one year old plant of Acacia arabica grown in nursery under similar soil and climatic conditions and by exposing them to the three experimental sites, Similar results were obtained in this case also. Thus the pollution caused by vehicular traffic was found more harmful biochemically to Acacia arabica as compared to industrial pollution. These foliar biochemical variations could be used as an early diagnosis of air pollution stress and by analyzing these parameters, air quality can also be assessed.