ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Air Pollution Mitigation Potential of Dominant
Landscape Plants of an Urban Ecosystem
(Lahore City) of Pakistan: An Air Pollution
Tolerance Index (APTI) Assessment
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1
Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore (54000), Pakistan
2
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences (UVAS) Lahore, Pakistan
Submission date: 2022-12-10
Final revision date: 2023-02-23
Acceptance date: 2023-03-07
Online publication date: 2023-05-04
Publication date: 2023-06-23
Corresponding author
Sohaib Muhammad
Botany, Government College University, Lahore (54000), Department of Botany, GC University, Lahore, 54000, Lahore, Pakistan
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2023;32(4):3233-3245
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ABSTRACT
Lahore, the second largest city of Pakistan with higher population and large industrial zones,
is under tremendous environmental stress of increasing air pollution. Roadside plants can mitigate
increasing pollution rate by serving as a natural sink. This research work was designed to evaluate
the role of roadside plantation in pollution mitigation in an urban ecosystem of Lahore. In this urban
ecosystem, three busiest roadsides i.e., Zafar Ali Road, Canal Road and Jail Road with heavy traffic
flow and commonness of plants were selected as sampling sites. Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI)
of the selected plants was calculated through chlorophyll content (mg/g), ascorbic acid content (mg/g),
relative water content (%) and pH. At control sites, ascorbic acid ranges from 3.11±0.21 (Cosmos
sulphureus) to 1.18±0.08 (Tabarnaemontana divaricata) while at polluted sites, it was found to range
from 2.95±0.09 (Cosmos sulphureus) to 1.03±0.08 (Tabarnaemontana divaricata). Chlorophyll content
ranged from 37.00 ±1.11 (Ficus religiosa) to 5.28±1.22 (Hibiscus rosa sinensis) at control sites, while at
polluted sites, it ranged from 29.09±1.15 (Ficus reliogiosa) to 5.56±0.95 (Tabarnaemontana divaricata).
At control sites, relative water content ranged from 198.76 ±2.45 (Catharanthus roseus) to 10.02±1.95
(Tabarnaemontana divaricata) while at polluted sites, it was found to range from 192.40±2.11
(Catharanthus roseus) to 9.50 ±1.18 (Tabarnaemontana divaricata). At control sites pH value ranged
from 6.69±0.21 (Catharanthus roseus) to 5.04 ± 0.45 (Alstonia scholaris). At polluted sites, it ranged
from 6.69±0.21 (Catharanthus roseus) to 5.42±0.48 (Alstonia scholaris). At control sites, APTI value
varies from 28.45±0.21 (Catharanthus roseus) to 2.59±0.11 (Tabarnaemontana divaricata). While at polluted sites, APTI value ranges from 27.57±1.45 (Catharanthus roseus) to 2.18±1.33 (Tabarnaemontana
divaricata). Calculated APTI values were correlated with ascorbic acid, chlorophyll, %relative
water content and pH. Highly positive correlation was found between APTI and ascorbic acid with
R2 = 0.9183. While slightly positive correlation of APTI with chlorophyll and relative water content
(R2 = 0.3779 and 0.336 respectively) was found. This indicates towards their participation in
strengthening plants’ defense mechanism. This research work followed by statistical analyses evaluates
the tolerance level of plants towards air pollution. This evaluation paves the way in screening out
the tolerant plants for pollution abatement. In this research work, Catharanthus roseus and Cosmos
sulphureus were found tolerant to air pollution having high APTI values while Helianthus annuus,
Ficus benjamina, Ficus religiosa, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, Robinia pseudoacacia, Alstonia scholaris and
Tabarnaemontana divaricata was found sensitive to the air pollution.