Morphological and biochemical differentiations of plants in polluted and nonpolluted environments

Abstract:

Environmental pollution is a severe threat in both developed and developing countries.
Plants growing in the industrial areas absorb the pollutants at their foliage surface. The
present study was to investigate the alterations of total plant morphology and biochemical
parameters induced by water and soil pollutants generated by carbo and TATA Metalics
factory combined with the human activities. In this investigation, five major plants species,
Pistia stratiotes, Nelambo nucifera, Eichhornia crassipes, Trapa natans, Solanum
lycopersicum along with some other plants were selected for study purpose. These plants
species have been identified to be able to absorb, detoxify and tolerate high levels of
pollution. The tolerance degree is indirectly correlated with the intensity of injuries which
occur in plant structure such as, morphology. According to quantitative analysis of
morphological parameters, it shows that decrease in size of plant grown in polluted areas.
The results of the present study indicated that the biochemical parameters of plants, total
chlorophyll, ascorbic acid, leaf pH and relative water content for all species and are the
most significant and determining factors on which the tolerance depends. Thus in future
these plant species play an important role in phytoremediation and green development in
urban area.