Identification of Pollution Tolerant Plant Species in Highly Polluted Area of Lucknow District

Abstract

Air pollution has emerged as a major environmental challenge, adversely affecting both plant physiology and ecosystem health. The present study aimed to identify pollution-tolerant plant species in highly polluted areas of Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh, using the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) and Anticipated Performance Index (API). Three representative polluted sites—Gomti Nagar, Central School, and Lalbagh—were selected for assessment during 2020–21 and 2021–22. Three tree species, Ficusbengalensis, Ficusreligiosa, and Alstoniascholaris, were evaluated based on biochemical and physiological parameters, including relative water content, leaf extract pH, total chlorophyll content, and ascorbic acid concentration. The results demonstrated significant variation in APTI values among species and study sites. Alstoniascholaris exhibited the highest APTI value (13.12), indicating superior tolerance to air pollutants, followed by Ficusbengalensis (11.01) and Ficusreligiosa (10.59). The findings further revealed that exposure to industrial pollutants reduced chlorophyll content while increasing ascorbic acid concentration in plant leaves, reflecting adaptive physiological responses to pollution stress. API evaluation identified Alstoniascholaris as the most suitable species for plantation in highly polluted urban and industrial environments, whereas the remaining species showed moderate tolerance. The study highlights the usefulness of combining APTI and API for selecting appropriate plant species for urban green belt development and environmental pollution mitigation.