IMPACT OF SULPHUR DIOXIDE EXPOSURE ON PHOTOSYNTHETIC PIGMENTS IN VIGNA MUNGO

Abstract

The present studies carried out on Vigna mungo regarding impacts of SO2 exposure on photosynthetic pigments clearly revealed that sulphur dioxide has deleterious effects on different photosynthetic pigments. These effects had become more significant when the plants were exposed to higher doses of sulphur dioxide. During the present investigation four concentrations, i.e. 0.1, 0.3, 0.5 and 0.7 ppm of sulphur dioxide were taken in consideration and their impact on biochemical contents i.e chlorophyll ‘a’, chlorophyll ‘b’, total chlorophyll and carotenoids in Vigna mungo was studied. The observations obtained clearly revealed that a significant reduction was observed in photosynthetic pigments of Vigna mungo. This impact was of great extent in such plants which were exposed to 0.7 ppm of sulphur dioxide as compared to those exposed to lower concentration of sulphur dioxide. It was also observed that the impact was not only dose dependent but also age dependent.