ABSTRACT
In the current scenario, air pollution is a major concern for humans as well as other flora and fauna. Urbanization and the associated effects increase in vehicular traffic, and industrial emissions are adding to air pollution, thereby affecting the overall functioning of the environment. As a major source of air pollution, particulate matter (PM) is a serious concern and is a rapidly rising class of environmental pollutants. Leaves absorb PM more quickly than other parts of a plant. Elevated concentrations of PM may influence plant morphological parameters such as leaf numbers, leaf area, stomatal density, stomatal structure, blooming, development, reproduction, biochemical parameters—like enzymes, proteins, pigments, ascorbic acid and sugar content—and physiological attributes like pH and relative water content of leaves. It has been observed that PM2.5 can be absorbed by trees’ pores and leaves, indicating that the plants have the efficiency to ameliorate the PM concentration in the environment. Many technological advances such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscope analysis etc. can be applied to determine the elemental components of PM. Many studies conducted under controlled environmental conditions suggest that the deposition of PM on a plant’s leaf surface negatively affects the effectiveness of their photosynthetic system and therefore hampers its normal functioning. Leaf characteristics such as hair and wax coating was important for PM accumulation and indicate the pollution tolerance of the plant. Overall, increased air pollution causes stress on the physiology of the plant.
