More and more people realize that air pollution is dangerous for people and animals. However, far fewer are aware of the devastating effects of air pollution on plants, which play a crucial role in our ecosystem. Would you like to learn how pollution affects plants, vegetables, and fruit? Keep reading to discover various types of air pollutants that influence plants adversely, and learn about the effects of air pollution on plants!
Table of content:
- 6 ways air pollution impacts plants
- They damage leaves
- They hinder flowering
- They damage roots
- They damage stomata
- Preventing Growth
- They contribute to global warming
- Biochemical Effects of Pollution on Plants
- Agricultural Impact and Economic Consequences
- The takeaway – air pollution and plants
6 Ways Air Pollution Impacts Plants
Plant pollution is a phenomenon broadly referring to when substances and pollutants that aren’t naturally found in the environment and come from water, air, or soil are absorbed by plants. These harmful chemicals can severely disrupt normal plant functions. In this situation, they can affect fruit, vegetables, and trees in a number of ways:
1. Damaging Leaves
Ground-level ozone and other harmful pollutants we breathe in have a visible impact on plant leaves. They can cause chlorosis, or they may even turn leaves yellow, which decreases the concentration of chlorophyll. Consequently, the plant isn’t able to produce its own food or energy and may even die. This leaf damage is often one of the first visible signs of how pollution affects plants.
2. Hindering Flowering
Plants exposed to pollution and smog usually flower and blossom later, as they’re stressed, and use all the available resources to fight pollutants and survive. This can be observed when looking at flowers, trees, and other plants located near busy roads. Plants exposed to vehicle exhaust typically blossom much later. Furthermore, some sensitive species may fail to flower altogether when exposed to significant pollution levels.
3. Damaging Roots
If plants absorb pollutants or live in acidic soil, they may find it hard to survive. Acidic soil has lots of aluminium ions which damage roots and prevent the plant from taking vital ions and nutrients from it. This root damage is a critical but often overlooked manifestation of air pollution affecting plants beneath the soil surface.
That’s sadly not where the cycle ends, however. Everything in our ecosystem relies on intricate connections. When contaminated plants that provide crucial nutrients to certain species of animals release those chemicals, the animals become affected, too—the only difference is that it happens at a later stage.
4. Damaging Stomata
You’ve probably never heard of this rarely-used term, so we’ll quickly explain what it means first. Stomata are small pores found on the leaves of plants, and they serve as a tool for exchanging gases with the atmosphere. The more pollution in the immediate surroundings of the plant, the smaller the somata, which has a negative impact on the process of exchanging gases and hampers photosynthesis. When stomata function becomes compromised, plants essentially begin to suffocate.
5. Preventing Growth
Harmful chemical compounds like nitrogen oxides, ozone, sulphur, and carbon can damage plants in a number of ways, including their stunted growth. How is it possible? Ozone creates holes in the atmosphere. As a result of it, ultraviolet light passes through the atmosphere and is able to destroy plants. This also prevents photosynthesis and plant growth. This stunted growth is one of the effects of air pollution on plants that has the potential to cause serious economic damage to agriculture worldwide if we don’t stop emitting so many harmful gases into the air.
6. Contributing to Global Warming
Everybody knows that plants are able to absorb carbon dioxide. Unfortunately, the more the plants are damaged and affected by the air pollution, the less carbon dioxide they take in. Consequently, it goes into the atmosphere and destroys the ozone layer. This accelerates global warming and climate change. The relationship between plant health and climate stability has the potential to create a dangerous feedback loop, especially when combined with similar effects already suspected to be taking place.
Biochemical Effects of Pollution on Plants
Beyond the six ways we already mentioned, unfortunately, as we discover more mechanisms of how air pollution affects plants, our situation seems to be a bit more dire every time. When exposed to air pollutants, plants experience oxidative stress. This disruption directly damages cell membranes and DNA, accelerating aging processes.
Agricultural Impact and Economic Consequences
The agricultural sector bears the economic brunt of how air pollution affects plants. Crop yield can fall sharply, as we have recently seen happen with coffee or cocoa harvests, causing prices to skyrocket. Wheat, soybeans, and many legumes are also on the list of sensitive crops—and these plants are our diet staples, with billions of people relying on them for equitable access to basic nutrition.
As a result of these changes, food security will become a growing concern globally. Reduced nutritional quality also poses a threat, with lower protein content and altered mineral composition in plants that grow in polluted environments.
The Takeaway – Air Pollution and Plants
Air pollution, including smog, has a tremendous impact not only on people and animals but also on plants. Harmful substances such as ground-level ozone hinder photosynthesis, prevent trees and flowers from growing, and delay their blooming. Moreover, acid rain and pollutants that are absorbed by soil can damage the roots of plants. Unfortunately, the more plants are destroyed, the quicker the climate change proceeds and biodiversity decreases, so it’s important to take protective measures and plant new trees.
Read also: How Does Air Pollution Affect Animals? 6 Deadly Effects