A Case Study on Estimation of Air Quality in Hadapsar Suburban of Pune India

The impact of air pollution on the roadside plants in the Hadapsar suburban was determined using six different plant species. To assess the effects of air pollutants on roadside plants of Hadapsar area in Pune city, APTI (Air Pollution Tolerance Index) was determined of six plant species. Plants species selected for the study were Polyalthia long folia, Ficus racemosa, Terminalia catappa, Ficus benghalensis, Ficus religiosa, Samanea saman of nearly the same age size and were found in abundance. Physiological and biochemical parameters such as pH, Relative water content (RWC), Total Chlorophyll (T.C.), Ascorbic acid (A.A.) contents were determined to calculate APTI. Results indicated that all of the plants selected for the study were found to be sensitive & heavily impacted due to air pollution. Thus, these plants can be used as Bio-indicators in monitoring air pollution.