BIO-MONITORING OF ROADSIDE PLANTS AND THEIR RESPONSE TO VEHICULAR POLLUTION- A PHYSIOCHEMICAL APPRAISAL.

Rapid industrialization and urbanization coupled with increase in vehicular traffic in the urban areas has become a great threat to air quality, threatening the very existence of the living beings. The present study was conducted to find the effect of air pollution on different plants growing at the road sides and the major aims of this study was to assess the physiochemical effects of air pollutants on the plants. Mature leaves of ten plants (Mangifera indica, Chromolaena odorata, Hyptis suaveolens, Alstonia scholaris, Hibiscus rosasinensis, Psidium guajava, Bougainvillea glabra, Ficus benghalensis, Adenanthera pavonina and Macaranga peltata)growing luxuriously on roadsides with their respective controls were selected. Dust trapping efficiency was significantly higher in the polluted leaves. Total chlorophyll and sugar content were less in the leaves of plants growing in the polluted area compared to those growing in non polluted area. Increased content of proline and malondialdehyde were recorded in the polluted leaves and can be considered as an adaptation to protect plants against air pollution. The present study concluded that the metabolisms of common roadside plants are significantly changed in response to higher concentrations of air pollutants as compared to the control site. The marked increase of proline content further suggests that these plants offer suitable choice for the bio-monitoring of air pollution. In brief, the use of urban roadside plants as bio-indicators or bio markers is an inexpensive and convenient technique and thus offers an eco sustainable green tool for monitoring air pollution in future.