నైరూప్య

Evaluation of Indoor Plants for their Pollution Tolerance Ability

Ankur Agarwal

The present study was conducted at Defence Institute of Bio Energy Research (DIBER) Haldwani. Fully grown potted-plants of ten ornamental species viz., Scindapsus aures (Golden pothos), Ficus benjamiana (Weeping fig), Hedera helix (English ivy), Quercue leucotrichopora (Banjh oak), Aglaonema crispum (Chinese evergreen), Dracaena marginata (Rededged dracaena), Codiaeum verigatum (croton), Chlorophytum comosum (Spider plant), Sansevieria trifasciata (Snake plant), Chrysalidocarpus lutescens (Areca palm) were used in the present study. To estimate the Air pollution tolerance index (APTI), various biochemical parameters such as plant leaf pH, relative water content, total chlorophyll content and ascorbic acid content were estimated. APTI values ranged from 7.37 (Aglaonema crispum) to 9.45 (Ficus benjamina). Ficus benjamina appeared as the most tolerant species among the tested indoor plants followed by Scindapsus aures, which must be included in indoor landscape as good air purifiers along with Aglaonema crispum as bioindicators to sense the pollution in indoor environment.