{"title":"Tolerance and performance assessment of common subtropical vegetation growing along a highway for bio-monitoring and abatement of air pollution","authors":"Diksha Gupta, Bharti Sushil Kumar, Sreekanth Bojjagani, Anita, Vertika Shukla, Narendra Kumar","doi":"10.1007/s11869-024-01659-3","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Roadside vegetation is inevitably exposed to airborne pollutants and demonstrates a wide range of tolerance and sensitivity towards it. In the present study twenty indigenous plant species were screened for Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) by accessing their biochemical and socio-economic attributes for the development of green belts along highways as a cost-effective and eco-friendly strategy for air pollution abatement. Simultaneously, ‘Criteria’ air pollutants; CO, SO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>2</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, Pb and Particulate matter were also analysed to assess biomonitoring potential of the species screened for APTI and API. Concentration of PM<sub>10</sub> and PM<sub>2.5</sub> in the ambient air were found beyond the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS, PM<sub>10</sub>: 100 µg/m<sup>3</sup> and PM<sub>2.5</sub>: 10 µg/m<sup>3</sup>) and ranged between 36.43 and 288.6 and 24.32–184.23 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, respectively, whereas, SO<sub>2</sub>, NO<sub>x</sub>, O<sub>3</sub>, Pb and CO were within the permissible limits (PL: 80, 80, 180, 1 µg/m<sup>3</sup> and 04 mg/m<sup>3</sup> respectively ranged between 8.41 and 19.37, 9.31–28.28, 0.06–41.95 and 0.01.0–0.106 µg/m<sup>3</sup>, and 0.19–1.77 mg/m<sup>3</sup>, respectively. The APTI and API values served as composite index of ecological health revealed that <i>Ficus religiosa</i>, <i>Alstonia scholaris</i>, <i>Cassia fistula</i>, <i>Azadirachta indica</i>, and <i>Neolamarckia cadamba</i> for which APTI values were found to be ≥ 17 indicating tolerance against adverse air quality and can be utilized in the development of green barrier along the highways, whereas, <i>Tecoma stans</i>,<i> Nerium oleander</i>,<i> Psidium guajava</i>,<i> Nyctanthes arbor-tristis</i>,<i> Ricinus communis</i>, and <i>Hibiscus rosa-sinensis</i>, displayed APTI values of less than 11, suggesting their potential use in biomonitoring of air pollution. Further, evaluation of Dust Capturing Potential (DCP) of different plant species revealed that species like <i>Platanus occidentalis</i>, <i>Mangifera indica</i>, and <i>Psidium guajava</i> are highly effective in capturing dust. This insight is crucial for urban areas where dust pollution is a significant concern. This dual approach which integrates APTI and API ensures that the selected plants are not only biologically capable of withstanding ambient pollution but also socio-economic viability for large-scale planting. The study identifies specific plant species that exhibit high tolerance to air pollution. These findings are therefore valuable for urban planners and environmentalists in quest to mitigate air pollution through natural based solution not only as physical barrier to pollutants but also ensures increased green cover in urban area.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":49109,"journal":{"name":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","volume":"18 2","pages":"537 - 553"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-10-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Air Quality Atmosphere and Health","FirstCategoryId":"93","ListUrlMain":"https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11869-024-01659-3","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Roadside vegetation is inevitably exposed to airborne pollutants and demonstrates a wide range of tolerance and sensitivity towards it. In the present study twenty indigenous plant species were screened for Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) by accessing their biochemical and socio-economic attributes for the development of green belts along highways as a cost-effective and eco-friendly strategy for air pollution abatement. Simultaneously, ‘Criteria’ air pollutants; CO, SO2, NO2, O3, Pb and Particulate matter were also analysed to assess biomonitoring potential of the species screened for APTI and API. Concentration of PM10 and PM2.5 in the ambient air were found beyond the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS, PM10: 100 µg/m3 and PM2.5: 10 µg/m3) and ranged between 36.43 and 288.6 and 24.32–184.23 µg/m3, respectively, whereas, SO2, NOx, O3, Pb and CO were within the permissible limits (PL: 80, 80, 180, 1 µg/m3 and 04 mg/m3 respectively ranged between 8.41 and 19.37, 9.31–28.28, 0.06–41.95 and 0.01.0–0.106 µg/m3, and 0.19–1.77 mg/m3, respectively. The APTI and API values served as composite index of ecological health revealed that Ficus religiosa, Alstonia scholaris, Cassia fistula, Azadirachta indica, and Neolamarckia cadamba for which APTI values were found to be ≥ 17 indicating tolerance against adverse air quality and can be utilized in the development of green barrier along the highways, whereas, Tecoma stans, Nerium oleander, Psidium guajava, Nyctanthes arbor-tristis, Ricinus communis, and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, displayed APTI values of less than 11, suggesting their potential use in biomonitoring of air pollution. Further, evaluation of Dust Capturing Potential (DCP) of different plant species revealed that species like Platanus occidentalis, Mangifera indica, and Psidium guajava are highly effective in capturing dust. This insight is crucial for urban areas where dust pollution is a significant concern. This dual approach which integrates APTI and API ensures that the selected plants are not only biologically capable of withstanding ambient pollution but also socio-economic viability for large-scale planting. The study identifies specific plant species that exhibit high tolerance to air pollution. These findings are therefore valuable for urban planners and environmentalists in quest to mitigate air pollution through natural based solution not only as physical barrier to pollutants but also ensures increased green cover in urban area.
期刊介绍:
Air Quality, Atmosphere, and Health is a multidisciplinary journal which, by its very name, illustrates the broad range of work it publishes and which focuses on atmospheric consequences of human activities and their implications for human and ecological health.
It offers research papers, critical literature reviews and commentaries, as well as special issues devoted to topical subjects or themes.
International in scope, the journal presents papers that inform and stimulate a global readership, as the topic addressed are global in their import. Consequently, we do not encourage submission of papers involving local data that relate to local problems. Unless they demonstrate wide applicability, these are better submitted to national or regional journals.
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health addresses such topics as acid precipitation; airborne particulate matter; air quality monitoring and management; exposure assessment; risk assessment; indoor air quality; atmospheric chemistry; atmospheric modeling and prediction; air pollution climatology; climate change and air quality; air pollution measurement; atmospheric impact assessment; forest-fire emissions; atmospheric science; greenhouse gases; health and ecological effects; clean air technology; regional and global change and satellite measurements.
This journal benefits a diverse audience of researchers, public health officials and policy makers addressing problems that call for solutions based in evidence from atmospheric and exposure assessment scientists, epidemiologists, and risk assessors. Publication in the journal affords the opportunity to reach beyond defined disciplinary niches to this broader readership.