Air quality of Kalyani township (Nadia, West Bengal) and its impact on surrounding vegetation

Abstract

Plant can act as an indicator of environmental pollution by changing its anatomical, biochemical and physiological features. This has been well recognized in the past. In Kalyani township a case of study was undertaken to determine the extent of air pollution and its impact on some dominant local flora by studying their anatomico-biochemical features of leaves in a comparative manner. The total chlorophyll content, epidermal thickness, stomatal length and breadth of the leaves were found to decrease while the leaf thickness, stomatal frequency were found to increase in case of pollution stress plants with respect to control plant population of non polluted habitat. This indicate that the pollutants have imparted direct adverse effect on biochemical and anatomical make-up of the population stressed plant.