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Effects of air pollution on plant growth

Abstract

The environment for plant growth is affected in three ways by the presence of coal smoke (1) by a reduction in the amount of light available to the plants, (2) by an alteration in soil conditions, and (3) by the contamination of the air by foreign gases. The smoke haze in or near industrial areas reduced the light available to plants for photosynthesis, thus reducing their growth rate. The tarry deposit on leaves further reduced the light available to the plant, and lowered the assimilation rate. It was generally thought that rain falling in or near industrial areas dissolved the predominantly acidic polluting gases from the air and leached bases from the soil. Rainwater collected showed a reduced number of soil bacteria, resulting in a reduction in the availability of plant nutrients. The most common and abundant gaseous pollutant in Britain was sulfur dioxide formed from the sulfur contained in coal. Concentrations of 0.5 parts per million induced symptoms of leaf scorch in many species. Results showed the yield of Aberystwyth 523 ryegrass was reduced when plants were grown continuously in air polluted with coal smoke. This affected the processes involving cell division. Coal smoke and sulfur also increased the  More>>
Publication Date:
Jan 01, 1959
Product Type:
Journal Article
Reference Number:
EDB-86-011622
Resource Relation:
Journal Name: Symp. Inst. Biol.; (United Kingdom); Journal Volume: 8
Subject:
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.; 54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES; 01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT; PLANT GROWTH; BIOLOGICAL STRESS; SULFUR DIOXIDE; BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS; ACID RAIN; AIR POLLUTION; COAL; LEAVES; PRODUCTIVITY; RYE; SMOKES; SOILS; SYMPTOMS; UNITED KINGDOM; VISIBLE RADIATION; AEROSOLS; ATMOSPHERIC PRECIPITATIONS; CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS; CEREALS; CHALCOGENIDES; COLLOIDS; DISPERSIONS; ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION; ENERGY SOURCES; EUROPE; FOSSIL FUELS; FUELS; GRASS; GROWTH; MATERIALS; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PLANTS; POLLUTION; RADIATIONS; RAIN; RESIDUES; SOLS; SULFUR COMPOUNDS; SULFUR OXIDES; WESTERN EUROPE; 560303* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology- Plants- (-1987); 500200 - Environment, Atmospheric- Chemicals Monitoring & Transport- (-1989); 010900 - Coal, Lignite, & Peat- Environmental Aspects
OSTI ID:
6451148
Research Organizations:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, England
Country of Origin:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Journal ID: CODEN: SYIBA
Submitting Site:
HEDB
Size:
Pages: 81-87
Announcement Date:
Nov 01, 1985

Citation Formats

Bleasadle, J K.A. Effects of air pollution on plant growth. United Kingdom: N. p., 1959. Web.
Bleasadle, J K.A. Effects of air pollution on plant growth. United Kingdom.
Bleasadle, J K.A. 1959. "Effects of air pollution on plant growth." United Kingdom.
@misc{etde_6451148,
title = {Effects of air pollution on plant growth}
author = {Bleasadle, J K.A.}
abstractNote = {The environment for plant growth is affected in three ways by the presence of coal smoke (1) by a reduction in the amount of light available to the plants, (2) by an alteration in soil conditions, and (3) by the contamination of the air by foreign gases. The smoke haze in or near industrial areas reduced the light available to plants for photosynthesis, thus reducing their growth rate. The tarry deposit on leaves further reduced the light available to the plant, and lowered the assimilation rate. It was generally thought that rain falling in or near industrial areas dissolved the predominantly acidic polluting gases from the air and leached bases from the soil. Rainwater collected showed a reduced number of soil bacteria, resulting in a reduction in the availability of plant nutrients. The most common and abundant gaseous pollutant in Britain was sulfur dioxide formed from the sulfur contained in coal. Concentrations of 0.5 parts per million induced symptoms of leaf scorch in many species. Results showed the yield of Aberystwyth 523 ryegrass was reduced when plants were grown continuously in air polluted with coal smoke. This affected the processes involving cell division. Coal smoke and sulfur also increased the rate of leaf senescence. This rate increased as the concentration of sulfur dioxide increased, or as the length of exposure per day to a standard concentration was increased. The leaves of evergreen trees and shrubs also aged more rapidly in conditions of pollution. 14 references.}
journal = []
volume = {8}
journal type = {AC}
place = {United Kingdom}
year = {1959}
month = {Jan}
}