Impact assessment of anthropogenic activities on air quality, using lichen Remototrachyna awasthii as biomonitor
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ORIGINAL PAPER
Impact assessment of anthropogenic activities on air quality, using lichen Remototrachyna awasthii as biomonitor R. Bajpai • V. Shukla • D. K. Upreti
Received: 22 March 2012 / Revised: 17 October 2012 / Accepted: 22 December 2012 Ó Islamic Azad University (IAU) 2013
Abstract The study was carried out with an aim to assess the heavy metal (HM) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the air of a biodiversity as well as touristrich area of Western Ghats by applying a most frequent growing lichen Remototrachyna awasthii (Hale and Patw.) Divakar and A. Crespo, as biomonitor. Thalli of R. awasthii were collected from eight sites of Mahabaleshwar area located in Western Ghats. Samples were prepared for HM and PAHs quantification by ICP-MS and HPLC, respectively. Total metal concentration (HM) ranged from 644 to 2,277.5 lg g-1 while PAHs concentration between 0.193 and 54.78 lg g-1. HM and PAHs concentrations were the highest at Bus Stand while control site (Lingmala Fall) exhibited the lowest concentration of HM as well as PAHs followed by samples from Wilson point (both these sites are having trekking route). It was also evident from this study that vehicular emission played a significant role in the release of HM and PAHs as pollutants in the environment. The effectiveness of R. awasthii as biomonitor could be further investigated by comparing this species with other biomonitors. Keywords Biomonitoring Heavy metals Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons Health risk assessment Western Ghats
R. Bajpai (&) V. Shukla D. K. Upreti Lichenology Laboratory, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow 226001, India e-mail: [email protected] V. Shukla Department of Environmental Sciences, Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar (Central) University, Raebareli Road, Lucknow 226025, India
Introduction Tourism is one of the fastest growing economic sectors in the world, similarly, in developing countries like India, tourism has become one of the major sectors of the economy, contributing to a large proportion of the National Income (up to 6.23 % to the national GDP) and generating huge employment opportunities (8.78 % of the total employment). However, on the other hand, it also possesses some adverse effects on the surrounding environment. One of the most important adverse effects of tourism on the environment is increased pressure on the carrying capacity of the ecosystem in each tourist locality. Increased transport and construction activities leads to large-scale deforestation and destabilization of natural landforms. Flow of tourists to ecologically sensitive areas results in destruction of rare and endangered species due to trampling and disturbing of natural habitats, which directly affects bio-diversity, ambient environment and air-quality profile of the tourist spot (Lalnunmawia 2010). Attractive landscape sites, lakes, riversides, and mountain tops and slopes, are often transitional zones, characterized by species-rich ecosystems. Western Ghats as a mega biodiversity regi
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