Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Urban tree leaves’ chlorophyll-a content as a proxy of urbanization

  • Published:
Air Quality, Atmosphere & Health Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

We tested the effect of urbanization on air pollution based on the chlorophyll-a content of Celtis occidentalis leaves along an urbanization gradient (urban, suburban and rural areas) in Debrecen, Hungary. Chlorophyll-a content of Celtis occidentalis, Acer campestre, and Corylus avellana were compared to test which species is the most useful to study the effects of urbanization. Furthermore, the effects of washing solutions (distilled water, tap water, and rainwater) on chlorophyll-a content of tree leaves were also tested during sample preparation. Chlorophyll-a was extracted from leaf samples with acetone, and it was measured using a spectrophotometer. Along the urbanization gradient, chlorophyll-a content of C. occidentalis leaves was the lowest in the urban area; thus, this species proved to be an effective indicator of anthropogenic emission load. Differences were not significant among species in the suburban and rural areas, where the level of air pollution was moderate. We found that effects of the washing solutions on chlorophyll-a content did not differ significantly from each other. Thus, tap water can be used safely to clean the leaf surface, without significant influence on chlorophyll-a. Our study demonstrated that the chlorophyll-a content of leaves was a useful indicator to assess the level of air pollution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ajayan KV, Babu RL, Patil BB (2015) Variability of stomatal index and chlorophyll content in four species of Solanaceae members. Int Res J Biol Sci 4(2):16–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Allajbeu S, Qarri F, Marku E, Bekteshi L, Ibro V, Frontasyeva MV, Stafilov T, Lazo P (2017) Contamination scale of atmospheric deposition for assessing air quality in Albania evaluated from most toxic heavy metal and moss biomonitoring. Air Qual Atmos Health 10:587–599. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-016-0453-9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Baranyai E, Simon E, Braun M, Tóthmérész B, Posta J, Fábián I (2015) The effect of a fireworks event on the amount and elemental concentration of deposited dust collected in the city of Debrecen, Hungary. Air Qual Atmos Health 8(4):359–365

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Balasooriya BLWK, Samson R, Mbikwa F, Vitharana UWA, Boeckx P, Meirvenne MV (2009) Biomonitoring of urban habitat quality by anatomical and chemical leaf characteristics. Environ Exp Bot 65:386–394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2008.11.009

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Braun M, Margitai Z, Tóth A, Leermakers M (2007) Environmental monitoring using linden tree leaves as natural traps of atmospheric deposition: a pilot study in Transilvania, Romania. Acta Geogr Debrecina Landsc Environ 1(1):24–35

    Google Scholar 

  • Bussotti F, Tognelli R, Montagni G, Borghini F, Bruschi P, Tani C (2003) Response of Quercus pubescens leaves exposed to geothermal pollutant input in southern Tuscany (Italy). Environ Pollut 121:349–361

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chauhan A (2010) Photosynthetic pigment changes in some selected trees induced by automobile exhaust in Dehradun, Uttarakhand. NY Sci J 3(2):45–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Du E, Dong D, Zeng X, Sun Z, Jiang X, Vries W (2017) Direct effect of acid rain on leaf chlorophyll content of terrestrial plants in China. Sci Total Environ 605-606:764–769

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Giri S, Shrivastava D, Deshmukh K, Dubey P (2013) Effect of air pollution on chlorophyll content of leaves. Curr Agri Res Journal 1(2):93–98

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • HCSO (2012) Hungarian Central Statistical Office (online). Available from: www.ksh.hu (Accessed 4 January 2018)

  • Hungarian Air Quality Network (2017) Reports of the automatic network 2005-2017, Available from: http://levegominoseg.hu/ertekelesek. (Accessed 4 January 2018)

  • Iqbal MZ, Shafig M, Zaidi SQ, Athar M (2015) Effect of automobile pollution on chlorophyll content of roadside urban trees. Global J Environ Sci Manag 1(4):283–296. https://doi.org/10.7508/gjesm.2015.04.003

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi PC, Swami A (2007) Physiological responses of some tree species under roadside automobile pollution stress around city of Haridwar, India. Environmentalist 27:365–374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10669-007-9049-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu Y-J, Ding H (2008) Variation in air pollution tolerance index of plants near a steel factory: implications for landscape-plant species selection for industrial areas. WSEAS Trans Environ Dev 1(4):24–32

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Margitai Z, Simon E, Fábián I, Braun M (2017) Inorganic chemical composition of dust deposited on oleander (Nerium oleander L.) leaves. Air Qual Atmos Health 10(3):339–347

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Monaci F, Moni F, Lanciotti E, Grechi D, Bargagli R (2000) Biomonitoring of airborne metals in urban environments: new tracers of vehicle emission, in place of lead. Environ Pollut 107(3):321–327

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mukherjee A, Agrawal M (2015) Pollution response score of tree species in relation to ambient air quality in an urban area. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 96(2):197–202. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00128-015-1679-1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nadgórska-Socha A, Kandziora-Ciupa M, Trzęsicki M, Barczyk G (2017) Air pollution tolerance index and heavy metal bioaccumulation in selected plant species from urban biotopes. Chemosphere 183:471–482

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Németh J (1998) A biológiai vízminősítés módszerei. Környezetgazdálkodási Intézet, TOI Környezetvédelmi Tájékoztató Szolgálat, Budapest

    Google Scholar 

  • Osma E, Elveren M, Karakoyun G (2016) Heavy metal accumulation affects growth of Scots pine by causing oxidative damage. Air Qual Atmos Health 10:85–92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-016-0410-7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pathak RK, Tomar C, Neelumalviya MS (2015) Phytomonitoring of atmospheric pollution in road side perennial trees of Indore city (M.P.) India. IJAET 7(6):1727–1734

    Google Scholar 

  • Pavlović D, Pavlović M, Marković M, Karadžić B, Kostić O, Jarić S, Mitrović M, Gržetić I, Pavlović P (2017) Possibilities of assessing trace metal pollution using Betula pendula Roth. leaf and bark—experience in Serbia. J Serb Chem Soc 82(6):723–737. https://doi.org/10.2298/JSC170113024P

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrova ST (2011) Biomonitoring study of air pollution with Betula pendula Roth., from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Ecologia Balkanica 3(1):1–10

    Google Scholar 

  • Rai PK, Panda LLS (2014) Dust capturing potential and air pollution tolerance index (APTI) of some road side tree vegetation in Aizawl, Mizoram, India: an Indo-Burma hot spot region. Air Qual Atmos Health 7:93–101. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-013-0217-8

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saquib M (2008) Effect of coal smoke pollution on the biomass and chlorophyll pigments of Brassica juncea. Ecoprint 15:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  • Sen A, Khan I, Kundu D, Das K, Datta JK (2017) Ecophysiological evaluation of tree species for biomonitoring of air quality and identification of air pollution-tolerant species. Environ Monit Assess 189(262):262. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-017-5955-x

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shiragave PD, Ramteke AA, Patil SD (2015) Plant responses to vehicular pollution: specific effect on photosynthetic pigments of plants at divider of NH-4 highway Nipani Area, Karnataka State, India. Cent Eur J Exp Biol 4(2):1–4

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon E, Braun M, Vidic A, Bogyó D, Fábián I, Tóthmérész B (2011) Air pollution assessment based on elemental concentration of leaves tissue and foliage dust along an urbanization gradient in Vienna. Environ Pollut 159:1229–1233

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon E, Baranyai E, Braun M, Cserháti CS, Fábián I, Tóthmérész B (2014) Elemental concentrations in deposited dust on leaves along an urbanization gradient. Sci Total Environ 490:514–520

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Simon E, Harangi S, Baranyai E, Fábián I, Tóthmérész B (2016) Influence of past industry and urbanization on elemental concentrations in deposited dust and tree leaf tissue. Urban For Urban Green 20:12–19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sokal RR, Rohlf FJ (2012) Biometry: the principles and practice of statistics in biological research. 4th edition. W.H. Freeman, New York

  • Tanee FBG, Albert E (2013) Air pollution tolerance indices of plants growing around Umuebulu Gas Flare Station in Rivers State, Nigeria. Afr J Environ Sci Technol 7(1):1–8. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJEST12.075

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wagh ND, Shukla PV, Tambe SB, Ingle ST (2006) Biological monitoring of roadside plants exposed to vehicular pollution in Jalgaon city. J Environ Biol 27(2):419–421

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Funding

The publication is supported by the EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-00022 project. The project is co-financed by the European Union and the European Social Fund. Research was supported by OTKA K 116639, KH 126481 and KH 126477 grants.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Geography and Geoinformatics, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Vanda Éva Molnár & Szilárd Szabó

  2. MTA-DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research Group, Egyetem tér 1, H, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Béla Tóthmérész

  3. Department of Ecology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, H, Debrecen, 4032, Hungary

    Edina Simon

Authors
  1. Vanda Éva Molnár
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Béla Tóthmérész
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Szilárd Szabó
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Edina Simon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Vanda Éva Molnár.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Molnár, V.É., Tóthmérész, B., Szabó, S. et al. Urban tree leaves’ chlorophyll-a content as a proxy of urbanization. Air Qual Atmos Health 11, 665–671 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0573-5

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11869-018-0573-5

Keywords

Search

Navigation