ANTICIPATED AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE OF SOME PLANT SPECIES CONSIDERED FOR GREEN BELT DEVELOPMENT IN AND AROUND AN INDUSTRIAL/URBAN AREA IN INDIA: AN OVERVIEW

摘要

Vegetation naturally cleanses the atmosphere by absorbing gases and some particulate matter through leaves. Plants have a very large surface area and their leaves function as an efficient pollutant-trapping device. Some plants have been classified according to their degree of sensitivity and tolerance towards various air pollutants. Sensitive plant species are suggested to act as bio-indicators. Levels of air pollution tolerance vary from species to species, depending on the capacity of plants to withstand the effect of pollutants without showing any external damage. In this study, the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of 30 plant species has been evaluated. High values of APTI were recorded in Mangifera indica, Moringa pterydosperma, Cassia renigera and Ailanthus excelsa. The anticipated performance index (API) of 30 plant species has also been evaluated for green belt (GB) development in and around an industrial urban area in India. Using APTI and this performance rating, the most tolerant plants have been identified.