Using birch leaves to indicate air pollution

Abstract

The present study investigated the utility of Bétula pubéscens L. leaves as a bioindicator of air pollution within an industrial Russian city. The study focused on the effects of air pollution on fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of leaves. B. pubéscens L. leaves (n=3800) were sampled from 190 trees growing at 38 different sites in Chelyabinsk. The relationship between the data was determined using Pearson's test with a significance level of 0.05. Correlations were observed between the integral index of fluctuating asymmetry (IIFA) and air pollutants such as suspended solids (P=0.527), nitrogen dioxide (P=0.313), sulfur dioxide (P=0.355), inorganic dust SiO2 (P=0.790), and the air pollution index (P=0.607). The correlation was the highest for inorganic dust since dust clogs the stomata on the leaves of plants, affecting their photosynthesis and respiration. B. pubéscens L. could be considered as a bioindicator of air pollution of Chelyabinsk, Russia.