Phytoremediation of air toxicity of roads

Abstract

Relevance. An urgent problem of environmental protection is, first of all, research aimed at improving the air of roads, especially in the North Caucasus, where resorts and recreation centers are concentrated. The main sources of air pollution are industrial enterprises and motor vehicles. The annual increase in vehicles is alarming for air pollution along the roadway, affecting human health In order to expand the assortment of plants on highways with a hyper accumulative ability to sorb air toxicants, plant seeds from families of nightshade, cruciferous, asteraceae, legumes and cereals were sown on strips 3-4 m along the highway. Aim. Expanding the assortment of plants on roadsides that have the ability to absorb air toxicants. Methods. On the roadsides, mixtures of plant seeds were sown that were capable of absorbing chemicals from the air (nightshade, cruciferous, asteraceae, legumes and cereals). Solanaceous plants have the ability to absorb cadmium compounds, legumes and cereals (haze) adsorb heavy metals, cruciferous ones capture arsenic and mercury from the air. Then these herbs were left for several years for self-renewal. Results. The analysis of the sorption ability of plants accumulating heavy metals has been carried out; phytoindicators have been identified that can reduce the toxicity of air and soil. The selected composition of the phytocenosis can significantly reduce the air toxicity of roads. Representatives of these species of families are not mowed, leaving them to resume growth using seeds that crumble in early June. Plants of the nightshade family, which sorb more cadmium, should have an advantage, while plants with lowered leaves absorb arsenic and mercury more. The results of the work showed that in order to reduce chemicals along highways, sow plants with hyperaccumulative properties from the family of nightshade, cruciferous, aster, asteraceae, cereals and legumes in the complex.