Risk Evaluation of Brick Kiln Smoke to Acacia arabica

Risk analysis is an important technique to estimate impacts on the environment for adopting effective measures to avoid risks. This field study was conducted to investigate the risk of brick kiln (BK) smoke on the shoots of Acacia arabica. Different phenotypic parameters including morphology and growth of shoots and epidermal imprints of the leaves were studied in the vicinity of a brick kiln situated ۵۰۰ meters away from Lahore-Raiwind Road, Lahore, Pakistan. Results show that smoke exposure has posed differential effects on shoots i.e. some shoots of same tree remained normal, others died and still others were badly affected by the smoke. Moreover, the number of leaves and fresh weight in the smoke affected shoots significantly reduced as compared with normal ones. The study of the epidermal imprints of the leaves of these normal and smoke effected shoots revealed that the mean values of the stomatal size of both adaxial and abaxial surfaces of the normal and smoke effected leaves were not statistically significant. However, the number of stomata on both epidermal layers of smoke effected leaves was significantly reduced as compared with normal ones. This study showed that due to the exposure to BK smoke, the growth of Acacia arabica trees in the field was significantly suppressed.   REFERENCES Chaudhari, G. S., Rao, N.V. and Inamdar, I. A. (۱۹۸۴) Effect of air pollution on leaf epidermis and architecture of Lycopersicon lycopersicum L. Karet var angurlata. Indian J., Environ. Health, ۲۶, ۲۳۸- ۲۴۳. Ceulemans, R. and Mousseau, M. (۱۹۹۴) Effects of elevated CO۲ on woody plants New Physiologist, ۱۲۷, ۴۲۵- ۴۴۶. Creed, E. R., Lees, D. R. and Ducket, J. G. (۱۹۷۳) Biological methods of estimating smoke and SO۲ pollution. Nature, ۲۴۴, ۲۷۸- ۲۸۰. Garg, K. K. and Varshney, C. K. (۱۹۸۰) (recd.۱۹۸۱). Effect of air pollution on the leaf epidermis at the sub microscopic level. Experiential (Basel) ۳۶, ۱۳۶۴-۱۳۶۶. Honjyo, Takaaki, Toshio, S. and Yuuji, S. (۱۹۸۰) Recd. ۱۹۸۱. Influence of air pollution on the forest trees. Sci.Rep.Kyoto Prefect Uni. Agric., ۳۲, ۱۲۵- ۱۲۷. Irwin, J. G. and Williams, M. L. (۱۹۸۸) Acid Rain: Chemistry and Transport. Environ. Poll. ۵۰, ۲۹- ۵۹. Johnson, D. W. and Taylor, G. E. (۱۹۸۹) Role of Air Pollution in Forest Decline in Eastern North America. Water Air Soil Poll. ۴۸, ۲۱-۴۳.  Keller, T. (۱۹۸۴) Direct effects of sulfur dioxide on trees Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London Series B ۳۰۵,۳۱۷- ۳۲۶. Matyssek, R., Reich, P. B., Oren, R. and Winner, W. E. (۱۹۹۵) Response mechanisms of conifers to air pollutants. In Smith, W.K & Hinckley, T.M. (eds.), Ecophysiology of Coniferous Forests, Academic Press, San Diego, pp. ۲۵۵- ۳۰۸. NWFP Environmental Protection Agency, (۲۰۰۴) Environmental Assessment Checklists and Guidelines, Brick Kiln, pdf. P ۱-۲۰, JICA Country Profile On Environment Pakistan, (۱۹۹۹). Japan International Cooperation Agency, p.۱-۲۷, pdf. Rao, D.N. (۱۹۸۵). Air pollution and plants. Biol. Mem. ۱۱, ۶۰-۷۱.  Schulze, E. D., Loge, ۰. L. and Oren, (۱۹۸۹) Forest Decline and Air Pollution. Ecological Studies ۷۷. Springer-Verlag. Berlin.  Takaaki, H., Scnoo, T. and Swond, Y. (۱۹۸۰) Influence of air pollution on forest trees. Sci. Rep. Kyoto. Prefect. Uni. Agric., ۳۳, ۱۲۵-۱۳۷. Taylor, G. E.; Johnson, D.W. and Andersen, C.P. (۱۹۹۴) Air pollution and forest ecosystems: A regional to global perspective. Ecological Applications ۴, ۶۶۲-۶۸۹. Winner, W. E. (۱۹۹۴) Mechanistic analysis of plant responses to air pollution Ecological Applications ۴, ۶۵۱- ۶۶۱.

کلیدواژه ها:

Acacia arabica ، brick kiln smoke ، foliar characteristics ، growth characteristics ، risk analysis