A systematic review on mitigation of common indoor air pollutants using plant-based methods: a phytoremediation approach

Abstract

Environmental pollution, especially indoor air pollution, has become a global issue and affects nearly all domains of life. Being both natural and anthropogenic substances, indoor air pollutants lead to the deterioration of the ecosystem and have a negative impact on human health. Cost-effective plant-based approaches can help to improve indoor air quality (IAQ), regulate temperature, and protect humans from potential health risks. Thus, in this review, we have highlighted the common indoor air pollutants and their mitigation through plant-based approaches. Potted plants, green walls, and their combination with bio-filtration are such emerging approaches that can efficiently purify the indoor air. Moreover, we have discussed the pathways or mechanisms of phytoremediation, which involve the aerial parts of the plants (phyllosphere), growth media, and roots along with their associated microorganisms (rhizosphere). In conclusion, plants and their associated microbial communities can be key solutions for reducing indoor air pollution. However, there is a dire need to explore advanced omics technologies to get in-depth knowledge of the molecular mechanisms associated with plant-based reduction of indoor air pollutants.

Indoor air quality and sick building syndrome symptoms in administrative office at public university

“…Since many employees spend a significant portion of their daily lives in shared workspaces, office buildings must provide comfortable interior surroundings for all users [ 25 ]. It is commonly known that indoor air quality (IAQ) has a significant impact on occupants' circumstances and can be a critical element influencing health and well-being and determination relationship between IAQ and SSS was crucial to improved productivity of the occupants in workplace [ 26 ].…”

The Relationship between Mechanical Ventilation, Indoor Air Quality Classes, and Energy Classes in a Romanian Context

“…In the modern age, people from every corner of the planet spend most of their time in indoor spaces [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9], which makes the field of indoor air quality (IAQ) more relevant than ever. Furthermore, during the COVID-19 pandemic, a great challenge for the health of cities and societies, people experienced national lockdowns, which made them more vulnerable to massive exposure to indoor air pollution [5,6,10,11].…”

“…In order to ensure an adequate quality of indoor air, complex solutions to this challenging issue must be found because the sources of pollutants, both man-made and natural substances, can be outdoor, indoor, or both [2,4,14]. The specialized scientific literature mentions three main categories of indoor pollutants of concern, namely particulate matter (PM), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and volatile inorganic compounds (VICs).…”

“…The COVID-19 pandemic, during which people were practically stuck inside, strongly emphasized the need to pay more attention to and rethink strategies regarding the insurance of adequate indoor air quality (IAQ) with optimal energy consumption [4,5,10,[13][14][15][16]19]. The scientific community is looking for solutions to remove the accumulation of indoor pollutants and minimize the risk of infection through ventilation (mechanical or hybrid [15,20]), actions that inevitably lead to an increase in energy consumption.…”

Investigation of simultaneous volatile organic compound removal by indoor plants using solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry

“…24 Metabolic pathways whereby VOCs are degraded in plant cells have been recently presented by several researchers. [25][26][27][28] These studies have shown that the phytoremediation mechanisms involve phytoextraction, phytovolatilization, phytodegradation, phytostabilization, rhizodegradation, and rhizoltration.…”