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Plant Science Today (PST)

Review Articles

Vol. 13 No. sp4 (2026): National Symposium on Recent Advances in Life Sciences

Air pollution tolerance index and anticipated performance index-based approach for selecting species for developing urban green space: A global synthesis

DOI
https://doi.org/10.14719/pst.12943
Submitted
26 November 2025
Published
08-07-2026

Abstract

Urban trees play a crucial role in regulating the urban climate and improving air quality; however, they are adversely affected by urban air pollution. Pollutants such as NOx, SOx, COx, O3 and PM2.5/PM10 alter the physiological and biochemical status of urban trees, thereby facilitating their ability to mitigate air pollution. As a result, phytoremediation has become increasingly popular as a method of reducing air pollution. A literature search was conducted using electronic resources such as PubMed, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and Scopus, as well as Google Scholar's advanced search feature. Articles published between 2018 and 2025, pertaining to air pollution tolerance index (APTI) and anticipated performance index (API) world widely, were selected. Nine distinct studies conducted under various environmental conditions were included and it was observed that several studies support the conclusion that plants such as Ficus spp., Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam., Bauhinia purpurea L., Eucalyptus citriodora Hook., Terminalia catappa L., Polyalthia longifolia (Sonn.) Benth. & Hook.f. ex Thwaites and Mangifera indica L. perform excellent in polluted areas-specifically in urban, industrial and roadside environments. While various plant species range from very good to good performers, some are moderate, while others range from poor to very poor; furthermore, certain plants-such as Nerium odorum Salisb., Spathodea campanulata P.Beauv., Ligustrum obtusifolium Siebold & Zucc., Calendula officinalis L. and Euphorbia milli Des Moul. are not recommended based on their API grades. Therefore, plants with a high APTI and API value are more tolerant and act as a 'sink' (absorber); whereas plants with a low APTI and API value are less tolerant and can be used to assess air quality. With the aid of the APTI method, decisions regarding the selection of plant species can be made when developing 'green belts' around polluted or urban areas.

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