nitesh joshi
University of Mumbai, Botany, Faculty Member
- I am a professor in Botany, with interests and research in urban ecology. I have guided several students towards thei... moreI am a professor in Botany, with interests and research in urban ecology. I have guided several students towards their Doctorate and have authored reference books. My area is air pollution and plants, green belt development, noise pollution, national park ecology.edit
- SUPERVISORedit
Forests not only provide wood but they directly control floods, drought, soil erosion etc. Conservation of Forests is of vital importance for India. Sanjay Gandhi National Park is in the heart of the city of Mumbai , with dense forest in... more
Forests not only provide wood but they directly control floods, drought, soil erosion etc. Conservation of Forests is of vital importance for India. Sanjay Gandhi National Park is in the heart of the city of Mumbai , with dense forest in various patches. this park is surrounded by several small town and villages , which causes human interference. The book explores the biodiversity in areas which are protected and unprotect or exposed to human interference. The development should be restricted to non forest areas
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In the present study, we have explored anti-tumor potent Crocus sativus (saffron) as a reducing agent for one pot size controlled green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNps) at ambient conditions. The nanoparticles were characterized... more
In the present study, we have explored anti-tumor potent Crocus sativus (saffron) as a reducing agent for one pot size controlled green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNps) at ambient conditions. The nanoparticles were characterized using UV–vis, scanning electron microscope (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and FTIR analysis. The prepared AuNPs showed surface Plasmon resonance centered at 549nm with average particle size of 15±5nm. Stable, spherical and triangular crystalline AuNPs with well-defined dimensions were synthesized using anti-tumor potent Crocus sativus (saffron). Crystalline nature of the nanoparticles is confirmed from the HR-TEM, SAED and SEM images, and XRD patterns. From the FTIR spectra it is found that the biomolecules are responsible for capping in gold nanoparticles.
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One of the main concerns of agricultural production is heavy metal pollutants. The industrialization has resulted in the heavy metal contamination of agricultural soil and ecosystems. Metals are a natural component of the earth, it is... more
One of the main concerns of agricultural production is heavy metal pollutants. The industrialization has resulted in the heavy metal contamination of agricultural soil and ecosystems. Metals are a natural component of the earth, it is when their concentration increases from natural levels, ecological deterioration occurs. In the present study, transplant experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of chromium-contaminated soil in Pennisetum glaucum L. The seeds growing in petridishes were exposed to chromium, in increasing concentrations of 1, 3, 5, 10, 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 ppm. Each treatment was replicated in a randomized design and observed over a period of 7 days. The seedlings were studied for their response based on germination rate, seed vigour index, length of the radicle, length of plumule, and fresh weight against seeds germinated using distilled water as a control. Five different chromium concentrations i.e., 5, 10, 50, 100 & 200 ppm, were applied to the plants. ...
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Weeds have been neglected and their use for medicinal purpose has not been considered on a large scale. Our current research was based on the phytochemical Screening of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis and to quantitatively... more
Weeds have been neglected and their use for medicinal purpose has not been considered on a large scale. Our current research was based on the phytochemical Screening of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis and to quantitatively evaluate their total phenolic and flavonoid content. Quantitative analysis of Phenols and Flavonoids was done by the Folin Ciocalteau and Aluminium chloride method respectively. Both weeds showed positive response for presence of secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. which indicates that they can be used as herbal components. The total Phenol value of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis was 0.0526 and 0.0657 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g respectively. The flavonoid content value of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis was 0.09 and 0.2 mg quercetin equivalent (QE) /g respectively. Both the weeds showed presence of several phytochemicals and high Phenol and Flavonoid values. However, Alt...
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Mucuna pruriens seeds are noted to be a natural source of L-DOPA and are also used as a substitute for the synthetic L-DOPA. In the present study; attempts are made to develop suitable method(s) for extraction of L-DOPA from the powdered... more
Mucuna pruriens seeds are noted to be a natural source of L-DOPA and are also used as a substitute for the synthetic L-DOPA. In the present study; attempts are made to develop suitable method(s) for extraction of L-DOPA from the powdered seeds of Mucuna pruriens using different solvents and conditions. The Seed powder was subjected to 7 different extraction methods and Method 1 was subjected to various solvent concentrations. Some methods used de-fatting procedure, either the method was cold maceration or in high temperature. Soxhlet extraction was also used in one of the extraction methods. All the extracts were analyzed using RP-HPLC. Mobile Phase used was Water: Methanol: AcetoNitrile (100:60:40) (v/v) containing 0.2% Triethylamine, pH = 3.3 and monitored at 280 nm with variable wavelength UV detector. The extraction was best with Methanol Water mixture in a cold maceration technique and overall gives good extraction efficiency of 13.36 % L-DOPA and id the best method giving high...
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http://ijlssr.com IJLSSR © 2015 All rights are reserved Air Pollution Tolerance Index of Some Trees Species from the Industrial area of Tarapur Nitesh Joshi * , Ambika Joshi 2 and Bharati Bist , Department of Botany, Rizvi College of... more
http://ijlssr.com IJLSSR © 2015 All rights are reserved Air Pollution Tolerance Index of Some Trees Species from the Industrial area of Tarapur Nitesh Joshi * , Ambika Joshi 2 and Bharati Bist , Department of Botany, Rizvi College of Arts, Scienc and Commerce, Bandra West, Maharashtra, India Department of Botany, Jai hind College, Churchgate, Maharashtra, India ABSTRACT To evaluate the susceptibility of plants growing in the industrial area of Tarapur, Maharashtra, Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was determined for 30 plants species by calculating Ascorbic acid con tent, Leaf-extract pH, Total chlorophyll content and Relative water co ntent and computing together in a formula. The resu lt showed the order of tolerant species as Putranjiva roxburghii >Mangifera indica >Ficus racemosa >Ficus hispida >Morinda citrifolia and the order of sensitive species as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis >Bauhinia purpurea> Peltophorum pterocarpum>Psidium guajava> Morinda pubesce...
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Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in the year 2011 declared 43 critically polluted areas and Tarapur being one of them was considered for this study.. The industrial area of Tarapur has more or less same climatic conditions as Mumbai... more
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in the year 2011 declared 43 critically polluted areas and Tarapur being one of them was considered for this study.. The industrial area of Tarapur has more or less same climatic conditions as Mumbai except for variations in the levels of air pollution; the former being a highly industrial region, the current work aims at Phytomonitoring Tarapur industrial area.The present work aims: To study the interaction between ambient air and plants by placing experimental plants sets in Tarapur industrial area and comparing them with control plant sets. To use ruderal vegetation in monitoring Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM); to evaluate dust retention of different plant species and to categorize the plants with good dust capturing ability. Prepare an Air quality and SPM map of the industrial areaand evaluate Air Pollution Tolerance Index (A.P.T.I.) of common roadside trees. The work is targetted at urban ecologists of the worrld , to evaluate the impa...
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Research Interests:
Mucuna pruriens seeds are noted to be a natural source of L-DOPA and are also used as a substitute for the synthetic L-DOPA. In the present study; attempts are made to develop suitable method(s) for extraction of L-DOPA from the powdered... more
Mucuna pruriens seeds are noted to be a natural source of L-DOPA and are also used as a substitute for the synthetic L-DOPA. In the present study; attempts are made to develop suitable method(s) for extraction of L-DOPA from the powdered seeds of Mucuna pruriens using different solvents and conditions. The Seed powder was subjected to 7 different extraction methods and Method 1 was subjected to various solvent concentrations. Some methods used de-fatting procedure, either the method was cold maceration or in high temperature. Soxhlet extraction was also used in one of the extraction methods. All the extracts were analyzed using RP-HPLC. Mobile Phase used was Water: Methanol: AcetoNitrile (100:60:40) (v/v) containing 0.2% Triethylamine, pH = 3.3 and monitored at 280 nm with variable wavelength UV detector. The extraction was best with Methanol Water mixture in a cold maceration technique and overall gives good extraction efficiency of 13.36 % L-DOPA and id the best method giving highest extraction efficiency. The De-fatting method was the 2 nd best methods giving approximately 8.8% L-DOPA and Method 5 viz, heat reflux method gives 8.7% L-DOPA making it the 3 rd best method. There are not many studies done for optimization of extraction technique for L-DOPA despite an extensive work is reported for isolation, identification and pharmacological activities of L-DOPA from various plant sources. Keeping this in view, present investigation was done to study the extraction efficiency of various extraction methods of L-DOPA content in seed extracts of Mucuna pruriens and compare it.
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Weeds have been neglected and their use for medicinal purpose has not been considered on a large scale. Our current research was based on the phytochemical Screening of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis and to quantitatively... more
Weeds have been neglected and their use for medicinal purpose has not been considered on a large scale. Our current research was based on the phytochemical Screening of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis and to quantitatively evaluate their total phenolic and flavonoid content. Quantitative analysis of Phenols and Flavonoids was done by the Folin Ciocalteau and Aluminium chloride method respectively. Both weeds showed positive response for presence of secondary metabolites like flavonoids, phenols, tannins, terpenoids, proteins, carbohydrates, etc. which indicates that they can be used as herbal components. The total Phenol value of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis was 0.0526 and 0.0657 mg Gallic acid equivalent/g respectively. The flavonoid content value of Ipomoea carnea and Alternanthera sessilis was 0.09 and 0.2 mg quercetin equivalent (QE) /g respectively. Both the weeds showed presence of several phytochemicals and high Phenol and Flavonoid values. However, Alternanthera showed a higher concentration of Phenols and Flavonoids as compared to Ipomoea. Since both the selected weeds grow in many areas throughout the world, their medicinal properties can be exploited and used for several applications. With the continuous use of antibiotics, microorganisms have become resistant. There is a need to develop alternative antimicrobial drugs using weeds, which otherwise have not been exploited till now by humans.
Abstract: SGNP embraces floral species possessing medicinal, food and commercial values. Owing to over–collection, they have been listed as either being endemic, rare or endangered in Red Data Book. For complete representation of... more
Abstract: SGNP embraces floral species possessing medicinal, food and commercial values. Owing to over–collection, they have been listed as either being endemic, rare or endangered in Red Data Book. For complete representation of floristic components, seasonal floristic surveys were conducted every fortnight and to understand their value as medicine, food and commercial, information was gained from the local communities and resources from Nature Information Center of the SGNP. The survey identified 83 tree species from 28 families, 17 species of Shrubs from 8 families, 37 species of Herbs from 19 families, 20 species of Climbers from 11 families, 3 species of Bamboos from 1 family, 1 species each of Epiphyte and Parasite and 4 species of Palms. Of 83 species of trees, 81 were known to have an intrinsic value as food, commercial, medicinal, religious or all. 66 of 79 species of plants recorded showed a high inherent value and used by local communities to generate natural income. Having known of the values of trees, 6 of the 83 species of trees were recorded as endangered, vulnerable, rare or endemic to the region. Similarly atleast 6 species of wild plants belonged to one of the categories of the Red Data List. It is quite evident that the species of plants in SGNP provide mankind with large number of goods and services. Recognizing their exquisite properties as medicinal, commercial and food, the forests can be considered as a source worth millions to enhance human wellbeing.
Key words: Biodiversity, human wellbeing, inherent and economical value, local communities, natural income, Red Data List
Key words: Biodiversity, human wellbeing, inherent and economical value, local communities, natural income, Red Data List
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Foliar surfaces of the leaf are the first of the plant system to receive the impact of dust particles in the atmosphere. the leaf surface is characterized by presence of hairs, trichomes, wax trap the dust particles. Different plant... more
Foliar surfaces of the leaf are the first of the plant system to receive the impact of dust particles in the atmosphere. the leaf surface is characterized by presence of hairs, trichomes, wax trap the dust particles. Different plant species capture dust in different quantities depending on their morphology and phyllotaxy. This characteristic can be used to monitor dust in the environment . The city of Mumbai has several areas which lie barren on the side of the roads which are dominated by plants growing wildly, six most common plant species are selected to study , their dust capturing capacities . Abutilon indicum(L.), Achyranthes porphyrystachya(L.), Hyptis sauveolens(L.), Ipomoea carnea(Jacq.), Malachra capitata(L.) and Xanthium strumarium(L.) are commonly seen growing in the city of Mumbai on the side of the roads. Foliar dust deposition were collected form ten different sites within and outside the city. Statistical studies showed Hyptis sauveolens(L.) is most recommended for d...
Canopy variations of the trees lining the roads, at different parts of Mumbai city were observed and an attempt is made to relate the different canopy shapes with urban activity in the immediate vicinity. A tree survey was carried out... more
Canopy variations of the trees lining the roads, at different parts of Mumbai city were observed and an attempt is made to relate the different canopy shapes with urban activity in the immediate vicinity. A tree survey was carried out along five classes of roads , Main Roads , Secondary Roads , Tertiary Roads , Western Express Highway and Eastern Express Highway in the city .The five most common trees encountered were Peltophorum pterocarpum (DC), Samanea saman (Jacq), Delonix regia(Hook), Thespesia populnea(L.), and Erythrina indica Lam. Canopy shapes of individual trees were recorded for comparison with a standard set. The canopy shapes showed variations within the species and in many instances deviated away form the normal canopy shape. More than 60% of trees showed deviation from normal canopy shapes. Flattening of canopy in Samanea saman (Jacq), Peltophorum inerme (DC) and Erythrina indica Lam was very frequent. Order of sensitivities of the five species in terms of canopy shap...
Noise is sound that exceeds the tolerance limit of a listener. Noise is increasingly being recognised as an important environmental pollutant and is a serious health hazard at high levels. Vehicular noise plays a major role in increasing... more
Noise is sound that exceeds the tolerance limit of a listener. Noise is increasingly being recognised as an important environmental pollutant and is a serious health hazard at high levels. Vehicular noise plays a major role in increasing noise levels. Sound absorption coefficient is normally measured using expensive instruments and calculating absorption coefficients. The absorption coefficient of a substance falls within a scale from 0 to 1. The concept of this absorption coefficient was established by Sabine. An attempt is made to device an inexpensive method to measure sound absorption. A sound absorption ratio was derived to measure sound absorption on a relative scale in a closed system. Sound absorption ratio of leaves of different tree species was studied. Observations were made using oscilloscope connected to a long impendence tube and a speaker at different frequencies like 500Hz, 700Hz etc. In designing the tube 500Hz – 1000Hz was taken as operating frequency for the rever...
Ganesh festival is a very popular festival in Maharashtra. Idols of lord Ganesh are brought to homes and also in public places to worship for a period of 11days. On the final day the idols are immersed in a nearby water body. The occasion... more
Ganesh festival is a very popular festival in Maharashtra. Idols of lord Ganesh are brought to homes and also in public places to worship for a period of 11days. On the final day the idols are immersed in a nearby water body. The occasion is celebrated with huge pomp and splendour. Noise levels, at four different locations in Palghar tehsil a far western suburban of Mumbai city were recorded with a sound level meter on a normal working day and the final day of the festival. Noise pollution indices vizL eq,, L max, L min, L 10 , L 90 L NP (Noise Pollution Levels) and Noise Climate were calculated .Noise levels exceeded the norms set by the central pollution control board on both the days with conspicuous increase in noise levels on the final day at all the sites Vaitarna site indicated the category of safe zone on festive and non-festive day. Saphale site exhibited low to moderate risk zone category for 4pm, 5pm and 6 pm time slot for festive days and for rest all time slots of festi...
Plants are reliable indicators of dust pollution. Dust fall on leaf surfaces was estimated on four plant species namely, Calotropis gigantea (L.), Hyptis suaveolens (L.), Lantana camara (L.) and Ricinus communis (L.), to ascertain the... more
Plants are reliable indicators of dust pollution. Dust fall on leaf surfaces was estimated on four plant species namely, Calotropis gigantea (L.), Hyptis suaveolens (L.), Lantana camara (L.) and Ricinus communis (L.), to ascertain the highest dust capturing potential of common roadside plants at three major road sites in Tarapur industrial area. Dust was collected from leaves in the dry seasons i.e. October –May and expressed in gm/m². January and February were identified as the most polluted months as maximum dust deposited in these months amounted to 113 gm/m² and 83gm/m² respectively. Amongst the different species studied, Hyptis suaveolens (L.) has the maximum ability to accumulate dust (88gm/m² 1 way ANOVA, F = 3.75, P = 0.013) followed by Lantana camara (L.)73gm/m2,Ricinus communis(L.),65gm/m² and Calotropis gigantea (L.),35gm/m². The use of Hyptis suaveolens to monitor dust pollution is recommended and hence should be planted on roadside hedges and other public places to redu...
Noise is a significant environmental problem in many Indian cities, transportation sector being a significant contributor. The present study is an attempt to assess noise pollution at 24 traffic junctions in the city, at. The noise levels... more
Noise is a significant environmental problem in many Indian cities, transportation sector being a significant contributor. The present study is an attempt to assess noise pollution at 24 traffic junctions in the city, at. The noise levels were measured with the help of a portable precision digital sound level meter. The sites are divided into 4 zones based on their locations. The survey included areas around hospitals, colleges, residential and commercial areas. Noise levels were compared with standards prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board, India. High values of noise were recorded at Santacruz, West on S.V Road, 120 dB (A), Lower Parel 104 dB (A), and Vile Parle West along S.V Road, 95.5 dB(A). Noise levels at silent zones such as Suchak Hospital in Malad East and Sanjivani Hospital in Andheri (W) were also high recording values above 85dB(A). The western zone of the city showed consistently higher noise levels, due to mixed type of traffic and the presence of autorickshaw...
To evaluate the susceptibility of plants growing in the industrial area of Tarapur, Maharashtra, Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was determined for 30 plants species by calculating Ascorbic acid content, Leaf-extract pH, Total... more
To evaluate the susceptibility of plants growing in the industrial area of Tarapur, Maharashtra, Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) was determined for 30 plants species by calculating Ascorbic acid content, Leaf-extract pH, Total chlorophyll content and Relative water content and computing together in a formula. The result showed the order of tolerant species as Putranjiva roxburghii >Mangifera indica >Ficus racemosa >Ficus hispida >Morinda citrifolia and the order of sensitive species as Nyctanthes arbor-tristis >Bauhinia purpurea> Peltophorum pterocarpum>Psidium guajava> Morinda pubescens. Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) serves as a reliable technique in qualifying plants as tolerant and sensitive species in regard to air pollution. Tolerant species serve as sink of air pollutants and thus can help in abatement of air pollutants to some extent if planted in and around industrial vicinity and along traffic islands.
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Deepawali or Diwali is an important Hindu Festival. It is the festival of lights that comes in the month of October or early November. On this occasion, a lot of fire crackers are used almost in every part of the country. This causes not... more
Deepawali or Diwali is an important Hindu Festival. It is the festival of lights that comes in the month of October or early November. On this occasion, a lot of fire crackers are used almost in every part of the country. This causes not only air pollution but noise pollution also. Noise pollution monitoring during Diwali Festival has been carried out on 28 th October 2008 during the day time and night time. Noise levels were recorded at 22 sites in Mumbai. The sites are divided into 4 zones based on their locations. The survey included areas around hospitals, colleges, residential and commercial areas. Noise levels were compared with standards prescribed by Central Pollution Control Board, India. On Diwali day the maximum noise levels ranged between 60 dB(A) to 120 dB(A), while on Diwali night the maximum noise levels ranged between 68 dB(A) to 100.5 dB(A) .The minimum noise levels during the day ranged between 58.1 and 77.8 dB(A) , while on Diwali nights the minimum noise levels r...
Noise pollution is a common problem in urban areas with ever increasing vehicular density. Urban trees help in noise attenuation. Various methods are employed to measure sound absorption coefficients of substances .Sound absorption... more
Noise pollution is a common problem in urban areas with ever increasing vehicular density. Urban trees help in noise attenuation. Various methods are employed to measure sound absorption coefficients of substances .Sound absorption coefficient is normally measured using expensive instruments and calculating absorption coefficients. The absorption coefficient of a substance falls within a scale from 0 to 1. The concept of this absorption coefficient was established by Sabine. In the current work sound absorption ratios of leaves of some tree species are derived using a impedance tube, function generator, standard audio amplifier, omnidirectional microphone and oscilloscope connected together. A sound absorption ratio was derived to measure sound absorption on a relative scale in a closed system.to calculate sound absorption ratio Sabines formula was used and absorption ratio was derived. Sound absorption ratio towards unity indicates poor sound absorption capacity. Sound absorption r...
ABSTRACT Aqueous extracts of leaves of Hyptis sauveolens(L.), Ricinus communis (L.), Alternanthera sessilis(L.) ,Ipomoea carnea(Jacq), Malachra capitata(L.) and Cymbopogon citrutus (Stapf), were studied for their effects on seed... more
ABSTRACT Aqueous extracts of leaves of Hyptis sauveolens(L.), Ricinus communis (L.), Alternanthera sessilis(L.) ,Ipomoea carnea(Jacq), Malachra capitata(L.) and Cymbopogon citrutus (Stapf), were studied for their effects on seed germination on Vigna radiata L. Extracts of1%, 2%, 3% & 5% concentrations were prepared and Final germination percentage , weight of germinated seeds and their corresponding radicle and plumule length was recorded at the end of 7 days . Seedling vigour index was calculated (SVI) using the formula percent germination× by average radicle length.An control was maintained by watering the seeds with water. Statistical analysis was done to compare the mean values using T Test. There was an significant reduction in all the parameters at high concentrations of the weed extracts in all the plant species under the study. The tolerance level of allelopathy activities of various weed extracts in terms of seed vigor index represented as Cymbopogon strictus > Ipomoea c...
Mumbai, capital of Indian State of Maharashtra, is one of the most populated and polluted cities in the country. Current study is a statistical analysis of primary data of foliage dust collected from 75 plant species growing along road... more
Mumbai, capital of Indian State of Maharashtra, is one of the most populated and polluted cities in the country. Current study is a statistical analysis of primary data of foliage dust collected from 75 plant species growing along road dividers. The dust was collected in the dry periods from October to May. The data was tested for normality using Tukey-kramer test and Analysis of Variance was applied to determine significant differences between the plant species. Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd., Ficus benjamina L. var. nuda (Miq.) M. F. Barrett, Nerium odorum Aiton. and Pedilanthus tithymaloides Poit. were found to be the best dust absorbers from 75 plant species on the basis of statistical analysis. SPSS software version 11 was used and the final data represented in the form of Box plots. The leaves of these four species were collected from 10 out of 81 sites. Summer season was more dusty than winter and the dustiest month was May-12. Nerium odorum Aiton.was found to be the best dust capturer. Borivali, Western Express highway was found to be the dustiest. Box plots were used to represent the data.
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The highly industrialized and densely populated city of Tarapur provides ideal conditions for the study of the effects of urban stresses on plants. Tithonia diversifolia a member of Asteraceae was exposed to five different sites during... more
The highly industrialized and densely populated city of Tarapur provides ideal conditions for the study of the effects of urban stresses on plants. Tithonia diversifolia a member of Asteraceae was exposed to five different sites during the dry season of 2011. The transplants were exposed for thirty days. The above grounds phytomass dry weight, shoot length, total chlorophyll content and dust fall were recorded. The readings were compared with a control which was a relatively clean area. The decrease in all the parameters was observed when compared to control. There was a marked seasonal variation in all the parameters. Shoot length and chlorophyll content are more reliable parameters for air quality indication and in identifying Tithonia diversifolia as important indicator species. Urban air quality affects the health of humans, animals, and plants equally. Hence it becomes necessary to monitor the air quality for taking the abatement measures and understanding the effect of air pollutants on living organisms.
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Dust pollution is one of the very dangerous types of air pollution. In Mumbai, excess of vehicles and continuous construction create a lot of dust pollution adding to major quantity of dust pollutants such as Suspended Particulate Matter... more
Dust pollution is one of the very dangerous types of air pollution. In Mumbai, excess of vehicles and continuous construction create a lot of dust pollution adding to major quantity of dust pollutants such as Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM), Heavy Metals, etc. in the city atmosphere. The excess of atmospheric heavy metals can lead to various health issues. The plants have been found to be very effective in monitoring and controlling dust pollution. The leaves too can capture good amounts of dust. In this research work, the foliar dust from Ficus benjamina L. var. nuda (Miq.) M. F. Barrett. was collected from various locations in the city. The elemental compositions of foliar dust samples were analyzed for their composition. Field Emission Gun-Scanning Electron Microscopes (FEG-SEM) was used to analyze Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) at SAIF department in IIT, Powai. Carbon (C), Oxygen (O), Magnesium (Mg), Aluminium (Al), Silicon (Si), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca), Manganese (Mn), Ferrous (Fe) and Copper (Cu) were discovered in the dust samples obtained from all the sites. Carbon (C) and Oxygen (O) were majorly seen in the dust samples. Similarly, Sodium (Na), Phosphorus (P), Sulphur (S), Titanium (Ti), Zinc (Zn) and Molybdenum (Mo) were found to be less common and if present, were available in traces.
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Effect of various aqueous extracts of weed plants, Hyptis sauveolens (L.), Ricinus communis (L.), Alternanthera sessilis (L.), Ipomoea carnea (Jacq), Malachra capitata (L.) and Cymbopogon citrutus (Stapf), on seed germination, of Triticum... more
Effect of various aqueous extracts of weed plants, Hyptis sauveolens (L.), Ricinus communis (L.), Alternanthera sessilis (L.), Ipomoea carnea (Jacq), Malachra capitata (L.) and Cymbopogon citrutus (Stapf), on seed germination, of Triticum aestivum L. var k9 were studied. Extracts of1%, 2%, 3% & 5% concentrations of weed extracts were prepared. the seeds of Triticum aestivum L. var k9 were germinated in petridishes. Final germination percentage, weight of germinated seeds and their corresponding radicle and coleoptile length was recorded at the end of 7 days along with total chlorophyll and total proteins. Seedling vigor index was calculated (SVI) using the formula percent germination× by average radical length. A control was maintained by watering the seeds with water. Statistical analysis was done to compare the mean values using T Test. There was a significant reduction in all the parameters at high concentrations of the weed extracts in all the plant species under the study. The ...
The study aims to explore the floristic diversity of the weeds occurring along the roadside of the Palghar Tehsil by calculating various diversity indices of two distinctly identified sites, one being disturbed, constructed sites with... more
The study aims to explore the floristic diversity of the weeds occurring along the roadside of the Palghar Tehsil by calculating various diversity indices of two distinctly identified sites, one being disturbed, constructed sites with high usage while other is relatively less disturbed mainly non-constructed sites and limited usage. The further purpose of the study was to draw conclusion in terms of floristic differences based on 3 indices viz. Shannon Weiner Index, Species Richness, Species evenness Index, Simpson’s Index and Sorenson’s Similarity Index. On comparison it was seen that the area that has limited usage has evenly distributed community and rich diversity as compared to another site. Diversity of the community occurring near non constructed road was found to be more as compared to the community occurring near constructed road.