Impact of automobile exhaust on biochemical and genomorphic characteristics of Mimusops elengi L. growing along roadsides of Lahore city, Pakistan

Ali Hasnain ¹, Hamed Dadkhah-Aghdash ², Muhammad Luqman ³

⁰Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore, 54000, Pakistan.

Heliyon +

|

March 25, 2024

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Automobile exhaust pollution negatively impacts roadside trees like Mimusops elengi, causing reduced leaf size and DNA damage. Air pollution tolerance index (APTI) is crucial for assessing M. elengi

Area Of Science

Environmental Science
Plant Physiology
Molecular Biology

Background

Automobile exhaust is a major source of environmental pollutants.
Roadside plants, including Mimusops elengi in Lahore City, are exposed to significant air pollution.
Vehicle emissions pose risks to air quality and plant health.

Purpose Of The Study

To investigate the physiological, morphological, and genomorphic effects of vehicular air pollution on Mimusops elengi.
To assess the Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of M. elengi along polluted roadsides.
To evaluate DNA damage in M. elengi exposed to roadside pollution.

Main Methods

Leaf samples collected from M. elengi trees on polluted roadsides (Canal Bank, Mall Road, Lahore) and control sites.
Analysis included physiochemical, morphological, APTI, and molecular (comet assay for DNA damage).
Heavy metal content (Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni) in leaves was quantified.

Main Results

Roadside M. elengi showed significantly higher heavy metal accumulation (Cd, Pb, Cu, Ni) compared to control plants.
Trees on polluted roads exhibited reduced leaf area, petiole length, and leaf dry matter content.
Comet assay revealed increased DNA damage in roadside trees, indicating genotoxicity.

Conclusions

Mimusops elengi along Lahore's roadsides suffers physiological and morphological damage due to air pollution.
The Air Pollution Tolerance Index (APTI) of M. elengi was found to be 9.04.
Monitoring plant responses and understanding pollutant sources are vital for managing roadside vegetation health.

Keywords:

Air pollution tolerance Comet score DNA damage Heavy metals Lahore city Vehicular pollution