S. Jissy Jyothi and D.S.Jaya
Abstract
Urban air pollution is a serious problem in both developing and developed countries and changes in the concentrations of various biomolecules and photosynthetic pigments in plants have been suggested as a useful bioindicator of pollution loads. The present study was carried out to investigate the changes in photosynthetic pigments, proline, protein and total carbohydrate contents caused by automobile exhaust gases in a few selected plant species growing adjacent to National Highway-47 in Thiruvananthapuram city. This piece of work discusses the physiological changes in common evergreen trees and shrubs as a diagnostic tool to assess the damage caused by urban atmospheric pollutants especially automobile exhaust gases in the environment.