EVALUATION OF BIOCHEMICAL CHANGES AND ANTIOXIDANT STATUS IN RIPARIAN PLANTS IN RESPONSE TO POLLUTION– A CASE STUDYShehna Najeeb and D.S. JayaAbstract The present study was carried out to analyse the biochemical changes and antioxidant status in selected riparian plants in response to pollution in the lower reaches of Karamana river basin in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala during the pre-monsoon and monsoon seasons of the year 2012. Surface water quality parameters were analysed and the results were compared with the drinking water standards. It was found that majority of the river water quality parameters (DO, EC, TDS, hardness, chlorides) were above the permissible limit for drinking water quality standards in stations S3 (Karamana bridge), S4(Thiruvallom) and S5 (Poonthura ) and the pollution load of the river was comparatively high during the pre-monsoon season. The changes in biochemical constituents, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants were analysed, and the results show that there was a marked increase in the values of carbohydrates and proteins and decrease in the values of various antioxidants during the monsoon season. The study revealed that there was pollution stress in the riparian plants during the pre-monsoon season (summer) and the pollution stress was reduced in the monsoon season as indicated by their biochemical response.
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