Biological Monitoring of Cement Factory Emissions in Badarpur, Assam, India, using Mangifera indica L.

Sujata Sarkar; Abhik Gupta

Volume : VI, Issue : VII, July - 2016

Biological Monitoring of Cement Factory Emissions in Badarpur, Assam, India, using Mangifera indica L.

Sujata Sarkar, Abhik Gupta

Abstract :

In this study, Mangifera indica was selected for biological monitoring of the emissions from the Badarpur Ghat Industrial Area, Karimganj District, Assam, where some cement factories comprise the major industries. The present study investigated the air pollution tolerance index of M. indica in and around the industrial area. Several parameters such as relative water content (RWC), pH, ascorbic acid (AA), and total chlorophyll (TCh) of the leaves have been estimated to work out the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI). The results obtained indicate that in spite of being known as a fairly tolerant species, M. indica exhibits an APTI that is characteristic of a sensitive species even in the control area. The subtropical, humid climatic conditions of the study area coupled with the nature of pollutants may be the reasons for M. indica showing greater sensitivity to pollutants in this study