Air Pollution Effect on Plants Shown

Twin demonstration greenhouses where plants illustrate damage caused by air pollution are on view through October at the Los Angeles State and County Arboretum at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia.

Visitors to the Arboretum can walk through the greenhouses to observe the effects of air pollution and how smog damage varies among plants, said Arboretum superintendent John Provine.

In one greenhouse the air is pure, 90% of the contaminants have been removed by charcoal filters. The other greenhouse contains the same, often unhealthful, air that visitors breathe.

C. Ray Thompson and Gerrit Kats of UC Riverside have served as consultants on the project since it was initiated in 1986. The greenhouses are educational displays, and a new computer screen attached to the smog monitor shows information in color graphics.

According to nursery workers at the Arboretum, camellias, miniature roses and pansies show little smog damage. Other resistant plants include succulents, oleanders, geraniums, junipers and hibiscuses; on the other hand, petunias suffer the most and damage to leaves and flowers is usually visible a couple of weeks after a smog alert.