EVALUATION OF AIR POLLUTION TOLERANT TREES GROWING IN SOLAN CITY OF HIMACHAL PRADESH
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Date
2014
Authors
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Publisher
UHF,NAUNI
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The present investigation entitled “Evaluation of air pollution tolerant trees growing in
Solan city of Himachal Pradesh” was conducted during 2013-2014 in Solan city of Himachal Pradesh.
In order to study the vegetation distribution as well as to select the site survey of the city was conducted.
Based on the survey five sites were selected as: i) control ii) residential iii) traffic iv) industrial v) periurban. In order to select non – polluted site as a control, the nearby forest / agriculture field areas
surrounding the city, where in relatively less development activity has taken place. Three tree species
namely: Ficus palmata, Pistacia integerrima and Polpulus deltoides of uniform age, size, spread and
common in occurrence in all the five sites in the city were selected for the study. In order to study
tolerance and sensitivity of trees to air pollution, Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) was computed
based on physiological and biochemical parameters (ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, pH and relative water
content). Dust accumulation on the leaves was recorded during rainy, winter and summer season. The
leaf dust load was also analyzed for heavy metal content. In total there were 45 treatment combinations
which were replicated four times in Randomised Block Design (Factorial). The APTI of selected trees
ranged from 9.45- 13.49. T he order of tolerance of selected tree species was Ficus palmata (12.31)
> Populus deltoides(11.76) > Pistacia integerrima (10.45) . The highest APTI was noticed in rainy
followed by winter and summer season. The trend of APTI for tees growing at different sites was
traffic >industrial > residential >peri - urban > control. The relatively higher APTI value of Ficus
palmta as compared to other species indicated its tolerance to pollution in Solan city. The dust
accumulation on the leaves of selected tree species growing at different sites in Solan city was found
maximum 0.041 g m
-2
in Ficus palmata and minimum 0.005 g m
-2
in Populus deltoides, which followed
the order of Ficus palmata> Pistacia integerrima>Polpulus deltoides and season wise maximum in
winter followed by summer and minimum in rainy season. Trees grown at traffic area accumulated
higher dust on their leaves as compared to control area (non-polluted). The dust load of all the
species growing at different sites in Solan city contained significan t concentration of heavy
metals like Cd (0.132 – 1.862) , Hg (0.007 - 7.216) , Pb (2.903 - 9.231) , Zn (0.783 - 3.708) ,
Ni(20.50 - 99.19) and Mn(12.06 - 16.32) . The concentration of Cd (1.862 mg kg
- 1
) and Hg
(7.216 mg kg
- 1
) in leaf dust load of selected tree species was above the normal permissible
limit prescribed for soil .
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