Journal of Environmental Biology

Biochemical parameters of plants as indicators of air pollution

 A. K. Tripathi  and  Mukesh Gautam*

Ecology and Environment Division, Forest Research Institute, Dehradun-248 006, India

(Received: August 5, 2005 ; Revised received: December 22, 2005; Accepted: January 14, 2006)

Abstract: In the present study, species like Mangifera indica, Linn., Cassia fistula, Linn., and Eucalyptus hybrid were exposed to different air pollution load for short duration (active biomonitoring). Variation in biochemical parameters like chlorophyll, protein, soluble sugar, free amino acid, ascorbic acid, nitrate reductase, superoxide dismutase and peroxidase in the leaves were found to be pollution load dependent. These variations can be used as indicators of air pollution for early diagnosis of stress or as a marker for physiological damage to trees prior to the onset of visible injury symptoms. Just by analyzing these biochemical indicators air quality can also be assessed.

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