Fundamentals of Ornamental Plants in Removing Benzene in Indoor Air

Abstract

The concentration of benzene in indoor air has received appreciable attention due to its adverse health effects. Although phytoremediation has been considered as an eco-friendly method to remove benzene, it is unclear how to select plants with a high removal rate. In this study, we evaluated the benzene removal efficiency of four common ornamental plants, Epipremnum aureum, Chlorophytum comosum, Hedera helix and Echinopsis tubiflora, and we also explored the factors impacting benzene removal efficiency. The removal efficiency of all plants in this study averaged at 72 percent. The benzene absorption rates of Epipremnum aureum, Hedera helix and Chlorophytum comosum were 1.10, 0.85 and 0.27 µg·m−3·cm−2, respectively. This is due to the different transpiration rates and chlorophyll concentrations in the plants. The benzene removal efficiency of crassulacean acid metabolism plant (Echinopsis tubiflora) was 23% higher than C3 plant (Epipremnum aureum) under dark conditions. This can be attributed to the fact that the characteristic of Echinopsis tubiflora stomata is different from Epipremnum aureum stomata, which is still open under dark conditions. Therefore, Echinopsis tubiflora can take up more benzene than Epipremnum aureum. For different initial benzene concentrations, the benzene removal efficiency of Echinopsis tubiflora was always great (50–80%), owing to its high rate of transpiration and concentration of chlorophyll. Our findings indicate that transpiration rate and chlorophyll concentration can be used as reference parameters to facilitate ornamental plant screening for indoor air quality improvement.

Adsorption of nanoparticles suspended in a drop on a leaf surface of Perilla frutescens and their infiltration through stomatal pathway

“…On the basis of the hypothesis that AuNPs are absorbed through stomatal pathways, the geometrical parameters of P. frutescens , such as stomatal guard cell size ( S ), stomatal number density ( D ), and stomatal pore size ( S p ), were compared with those of four air-purifying plants, Peperomia tetragona , Epipremnum aureum , Hedera helix , and Ardisia pusilla , whose species are known to remove air contaminants such as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of benzene 43 , toluene 44 , and formaldehyde 45 (Fig. 3 a).…”

Particulate Matter (PM) Adsorption and Leaf Characteristics of Ornamental Sweet Potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) Cultivars and Two Common Indoor Plants (Hedera helix L. and Epipremnum aureum Lindl. & Andre)

“…Our findings showed that stomatal blockage caused by the accumulation of PM in leaves ultimately reduces transpiration. Plant characteristics, such as transpiration rate, can influence the reduction of airborne particles [52][53][54]. Ryu et al [55] reported that the PM removal efficiencies of E. aureum are higher under light conditions than under dark conditions because light stimulates the opening of stomata, which leads to a higher transpiration rate.…”

Current State of Indoor Air Phytoremediation Using Potted Plants and Green Walls

“…An exact safe level of benzene exposure is unknown. As reported in 2000 by the European Union, the concentration of benzene in ambient air should be lower than 5 µg m −3 [142,143]. By considering the potential of plants to remove VOCs, there are some studies on benzene removal.…”