Assessment of air pollution tolerance index of some selected roadside plants of Bhubaneswar city of Odisha State in India

Abstract

Aim : A periodic evaluation of air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of thirteen different plant species (including nine trees and four shrubs), distributed alongside the national highway (NH-5) passing through Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India was carried out aiming at proper selection of tolerant plants to be used as bio-filtersagainstharmfulvehicularairpollutants. Methodology : Leaf samples were analysed for APTI scores which were formulated using four different parameters viz., leaf extract pH, relative water content, total chlorophyll and ascorbic acid accumulated in leaftissues. Results: Based on the average APTI score point computed from data obtained during winter and summer season, Cascabela thevetia was the most tolerant while Mangifera indica and Neolamarkia cadamba were moderately tolerant. Ficus benghalensis, Ricinus communis, Cassia siamea, Ficus religiosa and Bougainvillea spectabilis showed intermediate tolerance, whereas the remaining five species namely Terminalia catappa, Calotropis gigantea, Psidium guajava, Artocarpus heterophyllus and Azadirachta indica were sensitive. Interpretation : The reported APTI tolerant plant species can be recommended for inclusion in the urban greenbelt development plan and city landscaping, while the sensitive ones can be used as indicators of vehicularairpollution.