Detrimental effects of Road dust on plants and its environmental impacts

Paper Details

Research Paper 01/01/2020
Views (946)
current_issue_feature_image
publication_file

Detrimental effects of Road dust on plants and its environmental impacts

Allah Nawaz Khan, Farzana Rafiq, Muhammad Asif Akram, Muhammad Sufyan, Naila Fida Hussain, Muhammad Tayyab Shaheen, Shazia Iqbal, Sobia Sohail, Hafiz Muhammad Shahbaz
Int. J. Biosci. 16(1), 162-167, January 2020.
Copyright Statement: Copyright 2020; The Author(s).
License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Abstract

Present study was conducted to investigate the Road dust effects on plant communities along with bad impact on our environment. Plants are important source of oxygen and they maintain the natural ecosystem. Plants communities along the roads are important for the beauty and they play key role for environment. Dust due to road traffic is big issue in many countries of the word especially where annual rainfall is low. Plants clean the environment on the road by capturing road dust that comes with wind or by road traffic but in this case they are partially or completely occupied by road dust that produces serious injuries like reduce in size, leaf falling and their stomata don’t function properly and hence loss in transpiration and plant may die. Road dust contains many heavy metals due to road traffic and their deposition on plants is alarming. Study surveys were conducted on the Main Mianwali Banu Road during May 2018 to June 2019 a total 100 plant species were recorded consist of Tree 40%, Shrubs 10% Herbs 30% and 20% grasses and it was concluded that leaves having more capacity to hold dust were greatly affected by road dust following stem, flower and branches.

Ahmad F, Khan MA, Ahmad M, Zafar M, Mahmood T, Jabeen A, Marwat SK. 2010 Ethnomedicinal uses of grasses in the Salt Range Region of Northern Pakistan.  Journal of Medicinal Plants Research 4(5), 362-369.

Ali SI. 2008.Significance of flora with special reference to Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Botany 40(3), 967-971.

Bagnold RA. 1941. The physics of blown sand and desert dunes. London, UK: Chapman and Hall Ltd.

Czaja AT. 1960. Die Wirkung von verstäubtem Kalk und Zement auf Pflanzen. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition (Formerly Qualitas Plantarum), 7(2), 184-212.

Darley EF. 1966. Studies on the effect of cement-kiln dust on vegetation. Journal of the air pollution control association, 16(3), 145-150.

Duggar BM, Cooley JS. 1914. The effect of surface films and dusts on the rate of transpiration. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden  1, 1-22.

Everett KR. 1980. Distribution and properties of road dust along the northern portion of the Haul Road. Environmental engineering and ecological baseline investigations along the Yukon River-Purdhoe Bay Haul Road (CRREL Report 80–19). US Army Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Hanover, New Hampshire, 101-128.

Farmer AM. 1993. The effects of dust on vegetation—a review. Environmental pollution 79(1), 63-75.

Fennelly PF. 1975. Primary and secondary particulates as pollutants. A literature review. J. Air Pollution Control Association. (United States) 25(7), 697-704.

Gilson JC. 1970. Occupational bronchitis? Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine 63, 857-864.

Nasir E, Ali SI. 1970-2003. Flora of Pakistan (fasicles series 1-202). Department of Botany, University of Karachi, Pakistan.

Peirce GJ. 1909. The possible effect of cement dust on plants. Science 30(775), 652-654.

Roberts JW, Watters HA, Mangold CA,  Rossano AT. 1975. Cost and benefits of road dust control in Seattle’s industrial valley. Journal of the Air Pollution Control Association 25(9), 948-952.

Related Articles

Sensory characteristics of muscovado enhanced with varying levels of turmeric

Johny P. Alvarez*, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 68-75, July 2026.

Physical and sensory qualities of noodles with varying levels of breadfruit flour

Johny P. Alvarez*, Joemel Estabillo, Macluven T. Gonzales, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 47-53, July 2026.

Growth and yield performance of sweet sorghum under reduced inorganic fertilizer rates supplemented with Trichoderma-enriched vermicompost

Gerald L. Seridon*, Maurine Bayubay-Abao, Jake P. Abedes, Mauricio P. Bayubay, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 38-46, July 2026.

General characteristics of symbiotic relationships between bacteria belonging to the order rhizobiales and wild legumes

K. F. Bakhshaliyeva*, N. D. İmamquliyev, M. İ. Qasımova, S. M. Muradova, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 33-37, July 2026.

Pharmacokinetic, toxicological, and bioactivity profile of taurine in cardiovascular health and disease management

Aravindhan Tamililakkiya, T. Dhanalakshmi*, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 24-32, July 2026.

Climate change impacts on the biogeography and population status of Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst.: Implications for sustainable conservation

Fatimata Anna Diallo*, Dominique Nikiéma, Abdoulazize Sandwidi, Boukary Ousmane Diallo, Pauline Bationo/Kando, Int. J. Biosci. 29(1), 14-23, July 2026.