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Air pollution tolerance, dust capturing capacity of native tropical trees for green belt development in Dhanbad and Bokaro city, Jharkhand, India
Author : Arpita Roy and Tanushree Bhattacharya*
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ABSTRACT
The study has been conducted in two cities of Jharkhand, namely Dhanbad and Bokaro. We examine Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API) of native trees and identify the tolerant species for green belt development. Dust capturing capacity (DCC) was also evaluated. Leaves were sampled in winter for its calm and stable weather with less or no rainfall. The APTI trend of plants growing in Dhanbad were as M. indica > A. indica > H. rosa-sinesis > P. guajava > T. divaricate > C. procera > F. bengalensis > A. scholaris > S. asoca. While in Bokaro, APTI trend were H. rosasinesis > C. procera > M. indica > A. indica > A. scholaris > F. religiosa > T. divaricate > F. bengalensis > S. asoca. S. asoca had the lowest APTI in both the cities. Further, API was also evaluated, to recognize a plants’ ability to abate pollution from a holistic perspective. In Dhanbad, the API trend was as, M. indica (6) > F. bengalensis = F. religiosa (4). Similar trends were observed in Bokaro, M. indica = F. bengalensis (4) > F. religiosa (3) and control site, M. indica (5) > F. bengalensis = F. religiosa (4) as well. Trees can absorb and trap numerous dust particles more efficiently. The maximum DCC was found in order of A. indica > M. indica > C. procera > P. guajava > F. bengalensis = T. divaricate > S. asoca > H. rosa-sinesis = F. religiosa > A. scholaris in Dhanbad, while in Bokaro the trend was M. indica > A. indica > C. procera > S. asoca > P. guajava = T. divaricate > F. religiosa > F. bengalensis > H. rosa-sinesis > A. scholaris. A. scholaris had the lowest DCC in both the cities. This could be due to larger rough surface area of M. indica retaining higher dust volume compared to relatively smoother and waxy surface of A. scholaris, which is unable to capture substantial dust.
KEYWORD
Air pollution tolerance Index, anticipated performance index, dust capturing capacity, field emission scanning electron microscope