Decontamination Ability of Garden Plants to Absorb Sulfur Dioxide and Fluoride

Abstract:

Seventy-five species of garden plant seedlings were potted under contaminated environment at Dongcun (DC) and Wuxing (WX) near ceramic industry sites in Foshan City, Guangdong, and at botanical garden (control). The contents of sulphur and fluorine in the leaves of the thirty-two surviving species were measured after 128 days, among which 14 species including Ficus religiosa, F. microcarpa var. fuyuensis, Lysidice rhodostegia, Carallia brachiata, Ilex rotunda, etc. had great ability to absorb air pollutants SO₂ and fluoride. Average sulphur and fluorine contents in leaves of these species pot-grown at contaminated sites were 17442 mg kg^-1 DW and 3725.9 mg kg^-1 DW, respectively, which were 1.9 times and 20 times higher than those at control site, respectively, showing that these species were more tolerant to SO₂ and fluoride pollutants.