Measurement of Photochemical Air Pollution with a Sensitive Monitoring Plant

Abstract

With newly developed monitoring techniques, investigators used the sensitive tobacco variety, Bel-W3, as a monitor for photochemical air pollution at different locations within 75 miles of Cincinnati, Ohio. Observations during the summers of 1966 through 1968 revealed almost daily injury to monitoring plants, fairly uniform total seasonal injury at all locations, and a marked variation in both oxidant and injury from one season to another within the city. The relationship between oxidant level and injury was not found to be consistent.