The Efficiency of the Eucalyptus sp. Plant in Absorbing Pollutants Results from Vehicle Exhausts in the Baghdad City

Abstract

Air pollution is one of the serious problems facing the world today because of constant changes in environmental concentration levels of some gases and heavy metals due to humans. Especially when contaminants on the soil and leaves are deposited and transferred to the remainder of the plant. The present study was carried out to assess the theory concentrations of air pollutants in some areas of the city of Baghdad and their effects on the plant (Eucalyptus sp.) by calculating the heavy metal, exposed to roadside vehicles pollution in the city of Baghdad. The gaseous air pollutants levels were measured in five sites namely Al-Doura, Al-Kadhimiya, Palestine Street, and Al-Shaab to represent the urban areas and Al-Rashidiya site to represent the rural area. Included carbon dioxide CO2, sulfur dioxide SO2, and nitrogen dioxide NO2. Also, heavy metal concentrations were measured cadmium Cd and lead Pb. Concentrations of air pollutants, for all studied sites, ranged between 281.33-702.33 ppm, 0.15-3.50 ppm, 0.004-0.532 ppm, 0.132-1.16 μg m-3, 1.75-5.75 μg m-3, for CO2, NO2, SO2, Cd, and Pb, respectively. High concentrations of Cd and Pb were recorded in Eucalyptus sp. (1.51 mg/kg and 5.31 mg kg-1, respectively).

Keywords

• eucalyptus sp.
• vehicle exhausts
• heavy metals
• air pollutants
• health of plants