Effects of Particulate Matter on the Anatomy of some Tropical Plants Alchonea cordifolia Musa paradisiaca and Manihot esculenta

Abstract The problem of impact of particulate matter on vegetation is quite complex. Relatively little attention is given to the effect of particulate matter on different tropical plants compared to the effect on tropical animals. A comparative study aimed at showing the effect of asphalt particulate matter on the anatomical characteristics of some tropical plants was carried out. Samples from three plant species namely Manihot esculentus Crantz Cassava family Euphorbiaceae Musa paradisiaca L. Plantain family Musaceae and Alchornea cordifolia Schum. 26 Thonn. Mull. Arg. Christmas bush family Euphorbiaceae were collected from two sites designated as non-polluted site Site 1 and asphalt polluted site Site 2. Plant materials were fixed in FAA Formalin Acetic acid alcohol solution immediately after collection. For anatomical studies free hand sectioning method was used and photomicrographs of good sections taken with a Leitz Diaplan photomicroscope fitted with Leica WILD MPS 52 camera. The results showed that there was significant increase in the number of vascular bundles from plant samples collected at the polluted site. Possibly this may be one of the adaptive features by these plants to reduce damage caused by asphalt particulate matter. However the cortex the epidermis and pith tissues were unaffected and seem to be resistant to asphalt particulate matter. From the present study it is apparent that the vascular bundles are more affected compared to other tissue systems. In other words they are more sensitive to pollutants than other tissues. The different tissues of the same plant species differ in their responses to the same pollutant. This is a clear indication that particulate matter exercised a decisive influence on the different anatomical plant features