Using the pollen viability and morphology for fluoride pollution biomonitoring

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Botany
• Biomonitoring

Background:

• Plant-based methods offer simple, fast, and economical alternatives to traditional physicochemical analyses for assessing environmental quality.
• Pollen characterization is explored as a sensitive bioindicator for detecting the impacts of soil and atmospheric pollution.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of legume pollen as a bioindicator of fluoride pollution from an aluminum smelter.
• To compare pollen characteristics in plants from polluted and control sites.

Main Methods:

• Collected pollen from six legume species (Cercis siliquastrum, Medicago sativa, Robinia pseudoacacia, Melilotus officinalis, Trifolium repens, Sophora alopecuroides) from polluted and control environments.
• Utilized light and scanning electron microscopy to examine pollen morphology and viability (acetocarmine staining).

Main Results:

• Fluoride pollution induced abnormalities in pollen development, viability, shape, and size across most tested legume species.
• Pollen viability, indicated by acetocarmine staining, was significantly reduced in polluted areas compared to control groups.
• Observed species-specific responses to fluoride pollution, affecting pollen characteristics differently.

Conclusions:

• Pollen grains are valuable bioindicators, providing crucial insights into the biological effects of atmospheric and soil pollutants.
• Legume pollen characterization effectively demonstrates the impact of industrial fluoride pollution on plant reproductive health.
• Pollen analysis offers a reliable method for biomonitoring environmental contamination.