EVALUATION OF BIOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS AND AIR POLLUTION TOLERANCE INDEX (APTI) AS A TOOL TO MONITOR AIR POLLUTION IN SELECTED PLANT SPECIES GROWING IN AL-DHALE GOVERNORATE

Abstract

To examine the effect of air pollutants emitted from electric generators, vehicle exhausts, and factories on biochemical characteristics and to estimate the air pollution tolerance index of plants (APTI) There for present study was conducted in Al Dhale' Governorate during the years (2023-2024) on seven plants species vis: Acacia nilotica Azedarach indica Albizia lebbek Delonix regia Inga dulcis Nerium oleander Ziziphus spina-Christi, growing in polluted site and non-polluted site. The results or this study showed that: Plant species varied significantly in leaf ascorbic acid content, total chlorophyll content, leaf pH, and leaf moisture content in both seasons. The highest readings were in the non-pollutant-free site, with the exception of the Azedarach indica where an increase in leaf ascorbic acid content was observed by (43.90%) in the polluted site. The air pollution tolerance index (APTI) varied among the plant species under study, ranging from (8.27 to 15.87). A significant decrease occurred in the polluted site which, ranging from (3.02 to 19.36%) with and the exception of Azedarach indica whose (APTI) increased in the polluted site, ranging from (9.99 to 13.50%) The results indicate that the species under study are moderately to highly resistant to air pollutants.