Abstract
Exhaust gas from vehicles contains a lot of air pollutants. Exhaust gas is regarded as a serious threat because it influences the atmospheric environment and human health around roadside areas. Therefore, it is important to carry out continuous monitoring of ambient air along roadside as well as to grasp present conditions of air pollution from exhaust gas.
Air samplers have been used for collecting suspended particulates in the air. However, this method has some problems, that is, it is difficult to make samplings at the many spots at the same time, because air samplers need power supplies.
So, we analyzed particles adsorbed on leaves of roadside trees as a convenient air monitoring method at many spots. In this study, we investigated what kinds of leaves were suitable for monitoring air pollution caused by exhaust gas from vehicles. We also investigated whether the leaves of roadside trees could be an index of air pollution.
Investigating the amount of adsorbed particles and benzo (a) pyrene (B (a) P) contents on leaves, azalea (Rhododendron mucronatum) was shown to be the most suitable tree for monitoring the atmospheric environment in Morioka City. Monthly variations in the amounts of adsorbed particles on leaves showed the same tendency as SPM concentrations using an air sampler. The measurement of adsorbed particles on azalea leaves is suggested to be an index of air pollution for several days.
