Assessment of the quality of the atmospheric air in Zhytomyr by indicators of damage to the pollen of the bio-indicator plant

An assessment of the state of Spiraea x vanhouttei pollen in the green areas of Zhytomyr under the influence of various factors of urbotechnogenic origin was carried out. A species of perennial plants of the shrub layer was selected for bioindicative studies. The generative part of these plant species is exposed to the main components of air pollution for a long time, as is the human respiratory system. Assessment of the state of atmospheric air in the surface layer is important for determining potential consequences for the ecosystem and assessing the risk to public health. Atmospheric air pollution by emissions of pollutants from industrial enterprises and motor vehicles is one of the main environmental problems of Zhytomyr and the region. Although in general, according to the data of the CGO named after B. Sreznevskyi, Zhytomyr belongs to the cities with a low level of atmospheric air pollution. It occupies the 23rd position among other cities of Ukraine. The article describes the characteristics of the main components of air pollution and their sources. To monitor the state of the gametophyte S. x vanhouttei, 6 locations were selected in different districts of the city, which differ in terms of anthropogenic load and the presence of green spaces. The sensitivity of pollen was studied by qualitative (fertility) and quantitative indicators. In most of the studied territories, plants have retained a high reproductive potential. A significant loss (by 2.1–2.25 times) of pollen fertility was noted only in plants in the territory with increased influence of emissions from mobile sources. The depressive effect of exogenous factors is more evidenced by the variability of morphometric characteristics. In particular, the production of morphologically diverse pollen grains and the reduction of their average size. In particular, the production of a larger share of morphologically diverse pollen grains and a decrease in their average size was noted. This is also due mainly to the impact of emissions from motor vehicles, as this is the area where the city’s largest transport hubs are located – the railway station and the central bus station. Thus, the conclusions of the Central Geophysical Observatory named after B. Sreznevsky regarding the dominant influence of mobile sources in the total amount of pollutants in the urban ecosystem of Zhytomyr. The established manifestations of the sensitivity of S. vanhouttei pollen to a complex of exogenous factors of the growing environment confirm the prospects of its use as a medium-resistant species for bioindicative assessment of the state of the environment.