Monitoring of spatial variations of particulate matter (PM) pollution through bio-magnetic aspects of roadside plant leaves in an Indo-Burma hot spot region

• Published in: Urban forestry & urban greening Vol. 13; no. 4; pp. 761 - 770
• Main Authors: Rai, Prabhat Kumar, Chutia, Biku Moni, Patil, S.K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Jena Elsevier GmbH 2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Air pollution; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Applied ecology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomonitoring; Communication; Environment; Environmental monitoring; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; Hibiscus rosa-sinensis; Human health; Leaves; Magnetic properties; Magnetization; Mangifera indica; Measurement; Particulates; Plants; Plants (organisms); Pollution; Pollution abatement; Property; Roadsides; Vegetation; Myanmar; Asia; South east Asia; Particulates; Biomonitoring; Human health; Vegetation; Magnetic properties; Human; Tropical zone; Plant leaf; Spatial variation; Biological monitoring; Road side; Pollution; Hot climate; Particulate matter; Public health
• ISSN: 1618-8667; 1610-8167
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ufug.2014.05.010

Particulate matter (PM) is an important air pollutant because of its adverse impacts towards human health. The existing and conventional methods of PMs monitoring are found to be inadequate in feasibility, which paved the way of magnetic biomonitoring approach. The magnetic measurement carried through the plant leaves is useful means in assessing the PM pollution. Plant species are found to be an effective biomonitors and may act as natural filters by trapping and retaining the PM on their leaf surfaces. Therefore, the aim of this communication is to demonstrate the magnetic properties [magnetic susceptibility (χ), anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization (SIRM)] of two roadside plant leaves (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis and Mangifera indica) at four spatially distant sites. The study measures and compares the capabilities of these plants to accumulate and retain the PMs. The study also assesses the PM pollution at selected sites and establishes the relationship between magnetic properties and PM in the city of an Indo-Burma hot spot region. The results indicated a significant correlation between the concentration of ambient PM and magnetic measurement (χ, ARM and SIRM) of both the roadside plant leaves. Similarly, reasonably good correlations are obtained between magnetic parameters (χ, ARM and SIRM) and Fe content in PMs. Present study is, perhaps, a novel contribution in the area of bio-magnetic monitoring studied with several magnetic parameters viz., χ, ARM and SIRM. Results indicated that the bio-magnetic monitoring is applied for environmental geomagnetism which act as proxy for ambient PM pollution and further employed as an eco-sustainable tool for environmental management in urban and peri-urban regions.