PHYTOMONITORING AND PHYSIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF FICUS BENGHALENSIS L. EXPOSED TO VEHICULAR POLLUTION

Rapid urbanization and industrialization has resulted in increased pollution to the environment. Out of these, atmospheric pollution raised by vehicles cannot be avoided since it accounts for a considerable fraction of atmospheric pollution. To mitigate the adverse effect of vehicular pollution, plants constitute a potential candidate since it can absorb much of the polluted air through their aerial parts. In this piece of work, effect of vehicular pollution was monitored in a road side plant Ficus benghalensis as they were growing vigorously in the polluted air. From the various morpho-physiological parameters studied, it was clear that F. benghalensis develop certain adaptations to the increased level of polluted air. The larger leaf area, increased dust trapping efficiency, increased pH of the polluted leaves and the increased accumulation of osmolyte-proline seems to be a mitigating strategy of these plants developed in response to vehicular pollution. Hence, from this study it can be suggested that F. benghalensis offer a potential candidate for greening the roadsides since it can reduce the rate of vehicular pollution to certain extend.