Evaluation of the Sulfur Dioxide Pollution Tolerance of Sidewalk Plants

Abstract:

Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) is used by landscapers to select plant species tolerant to air pollution. The present study evaluated APTI for selected ten common plant species, which were fumigated with 40 ppb sulfur dioxide (SO₂) gas for 210 days. The APTI is used by landscapers to select plant species tolerant to air pollution. In order to develop the usefulness of plants as indicators requires an appropriate selection of plant species, which is of utmost importance in specific situations. Four biochemical parameters, including ascorbic acid content, leaf extract pH, total leaf chlorophyll, and leaf relative water content were used to develop an APTI. The results showed that plants have the potential to serve as excellent quantitative and qualitative indices of pollution. Since biomonitoring of plants is an important tool by which to evaluate the impact of air pollution on plants, Diospyros maritime is a good selection as an index of SO₂ pollution. The order of tolerance in SO₂ as Diospyros maritime > Diospyros discolor > Decusscarpus nagi > Cerbera manghas > Delonix regia > Melia azedarach > Machilus zuihoensis > Ficus sepitca > Erythrina variegate > Messerschmidia argentea.

• Periodical: Advanced Materials Research (Volumes 955-959)
• Pages: 797-801
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMR.955-959.797
• Online since: June 2014
• Authors: Chung Yi Chung*, Pei Ling Chung, Hwa Sheng Gau, Ting Lun Huang, Wen Liang Lai, Shao Wei Liao
• Keywords: Air Pollution Tolerance Index, Plant, Sulfur Dioxide, Tolerance

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