Genesis of Phytotoxic Air Pollutants and Their Identification and Measurement by Chemical and Phytological Methods

Certain air pollutants from combustion and others derived via complex photochemical reactions of the primary pollutants in the atmosphere are toxic to vegetation. This paper presents a discussion of these pollutants and their effects on plants. Chemical methods currently employed to measure the occurrence of these pollutants frequently lack sensitivity and specificity to determine accurately the compounds involved. The use of vegetation as well as chemical analysis to monitor air pollutants, however, provide powerful tools for measuring the complex composition of the atmosphere. New and improved analytical techniques suitable for detailed analysis of low levels of impurities present in the atmosphere need to be developed for use both in the laboratory and in the field. In monitoring, the atmosphere chemical methods record the concentration of specific pollutants while the phytological methods measure the total impact of pollutants on plant life.