Assessment of Air Pollution and Its Mitigation Potential Using Tolerant Plant Species in Rivers State, Nigeria
Year: 2025
Type: book-chapter
Abstract: The use of plant species to assess air pollutant levels from industrial and non-industrial areas in Rivers State has been investigated. The biochemical parameters (relative water content (RWC), leaf extract pH, total chlorophyll, and ascorbic acid) of six plant species growing within the study sites were collected and analysed to estimate the air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of each plant in two seasons (dry and wet). Air quality analyses were undertaken using hand-held equipment to measure the levels of PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, and other pollutants from the selected areas. Statistical correlation was conducted to find the relationship between APTI and the pollution source for both seasons. Based on the APTI values, there was a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the wet season and the dry season. The source apportionment indicates that the major air pollutants are PM2.5 and PM10. These pollutants correlate strongly with the APTI values ( = 0.9989), suggesting that the air pollution is likely caused by particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) from vehicular emissions. Since some plant species, such as mangoes, showed a relatively high tolerance response to air pollutants, they can be planted along roads within industrial areas to serve as a sink in the environment.
Source: Environmental sciences
Institution: Rivers State University
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4417428656