Characterization and biostimulation of benzene biodegradation in the potting-mix of indoor plants

Abstract

Over 900 volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have been detected in indoor air, where they cause acute and chronic health problems to building occupants. Potted-plants can signifi cantly reduce VOC levels in indoor air, the root-zone bacteria of the potting mix effecting most of the VOC biodegradation. In this study, a baseline community level physiological profi le (CLPP) was established for the potting mix bacteria of the indoor plant species, Spathiphyllum wallisii 'Petite', using Biolog EcoPlates, to provide information on the functional abilities of this community. Changes in the CLPP resulting from benzene exposure were then determined and following the identifi cation of the carbon sources associated with changes in the CLPP, biostimulant solutions were formulated and applied to fresh potted-plant specimens. Biostimulation of benzene removal was observed, with increases in removal rates of about 15%, providing proof-of-concept for the biostimulation of this process. The fi ndings further elucidate the mechanisms of bacterial activity associated with removal of indoor airborne benzene, and could be applied to increase VOC biodegradation rates, augmenting the uses of indoor plants in improving building environmental quality.

The use of indoor plant as an alternative strategy to improve indoor air quality in Indonesia

“…Furthermore, several studies also have shown the use of potted plants as a mechanical system for phytoremediation of several indoor air pollutants [40,41]. There are several factors that can influence the ability of indoor plants to reduce indoor air pollution levels, namely the presence of biostimulant from substrates belonging to the number of microbes in plants.…”

An Assessment of the Suitability of Active Green Walls for NO2 Reduction in Green Buildings Using a Closed-Loop Flow Reactor

“…These species were Spathiphyllum wallisii (peace lily) and Syngonium podophyllum (arrowhead vine). These species are both common indoor houseplants and green wall species, and both have been tested for their capacity to phytoremediate a range of VOCs [33,[45][46][47][48][49][50]. All tested plants were grown in their biofilters in a glasshouse (Sydney, Australia) for~8 weeks prior to testing.…”

Towards practical indoor air phytoremediation: A review

“…As an alternative to mechanical systems, several studies have revealed the potential of passive botanical biofilters, such as potted-plants, to phytoremediate several indoor air pollutants, in particular a range of VOCs (Godish and Guindon, 1989;Wolverton and Wolverton, 1993;Wood et al, 2002;Orwell et al, 2004;Wood et al, 2006;Aydogan and Montoya, 2011;Torpy et al, 2013). A series of studies by NASA during the 1980s demonstrated the capacity of indoor potted-plants to enhance air quality by reducing the ambient concentration of numerous VOCs (Wolverton et al, 1984;Wolverton et al, 1985;Wolverton, 1988).…”

“…Indoor air pollution results from contaminated air entering buildings from outdoors, which is augmented by pollutants sourced from indoors such as carbon dioxide (CO2) from occupant respiration, particulate matter (PM) released from occupant activities, such as cooking (Buonanno et al, 2009), and a range of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) off-gassed from a broad array of synthetic materials and cleaning products (Torpy et al, 2013). Air pollutants that are primarily generated within the indoor environment, such as VOCs, often accumulate in indoor air due to the reduced building ventilation rates that accompany contemporary building designs (Weschler, 2009).…”