Screening Indoor Plants for Volatile Organic Pollutant Removal Efficiency

Abstract

<jats:p>Twenty-eight ornamental species commonly used for interior plantscapes were screened for their ability to remove five volatile indoor pollutants: aromatic hydrocarbons (benzene and toluene), aliphatic hydrocarbon (octane), halogenated hydrocarbon [trichloroethylene (TCE)], and terpene (<jats:italic>α</jats:italic>-pinene). Individual plants were placed in 10.5-L gas-tight glass jars and exposed to ≈10 ppm (31.9, 53.7, 37.7, 46.7, and 55.7 mg·m<jats:sup>−3</jats:sup>) of benzene, TCE, toluene, octane, and <jats:italic>α</jats:italic>-pinene, respectively. Air samples (1.0 mL) within the glass containers were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectroscopy 3 and 6 h after exposure to the test pollutants to determine removal efficiency by monitoring the decline in concentration over 6 h within sealed glass containers. To determine removal by the plant, removal by other means (glass, plant pot, media) was subtracted. The removal efficiency, expressed on a leaf area basis for each volatile organic compound (VOC), varied with plant species. Of the 28 species tested, <jats:italic>Hemigraphis alternata</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Hedera helix</jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Hoya carnosa</jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Asparagus densiflorus</jats:italic> had the highest removal efficiencies for all pollutants; <jats:italic>Tradescantia pallida</jats:italic> displayed superior removal efficiency for four of the five VOCs (i.e., benzene, toluene, TCE, and <jats:italic>α</jats:italic>-pinene). The five species ranged in their removal efficiency from 26.08 to 44.04 μg·m<jats:sup>−3</jats:sup>·m<jats:sup>−2</jats:sup>·h<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> of the total VOCs. <jats:italic>Fittonia argyroneura</jats:italic> effectively removed benzene, toluene, and TCE. <jats:italic>Ficus benjamina</jats:italic> effectively removed octane and <jats:italic>α</jats:italic>-pinene, whereas <jats:italic>Polyscias fruticosa</jats:italic> effectively removed octane. The variation in removal efficiency among species indicates that for maximum improvement of indoor air quality, multiple species are needed. The number and type of plants should be tailored to the type of VOCs present and their rates of emanation at each specific indoor location.</jats:p>

Can ornamental potted plants remove volatile organic compounds from indoor air? — a review

“…Removal efficiency measured at different time intervals during an experimental run with a single injection of a VOC exhibited a decrease in efficiency with time (De Kempeneer et al 2004;Kim et al , 2010Lim et al 2009;Wolverton and Mcdonald 1982;Yang et al 2009). This is likely to be ascribed to depletion of the VOC in the chamber and thereby a slower rate of diffusion into the plant ).…”

“…It is well documented that VOC removal rates depend on plant species (Liu et al 2007;Orwell et al 2004;Wolverton and Mcdonald 1982;Yang et al 2009) (Table 1). Even differences between cultivars have been observed (Kim et al 2011b;Orwell et al 2004;Zhou et al 2011).…”

“…Two studies have investigated the relation between taxonomy and VOC removal rate (Kim et al 2010;Yang et al 2009). Investigation of 28 plant species from 15 families for their removal of benzene, toluene, octane, trichloroethylene and α-pinene revealed that members of the Araliaceae family had a tendency towards intermediate to high removal rates, whereas members of the Araceae family exhibited lower removal rates.…”

Biofiltration of airborne VOCs with green wall systems-Microbial and chemical dynamics

“…Much of the research on house plants and green walls has focused on their potential to remove harmful indoor air contaminants, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs) . VOCs are chemically diverse and detectable in indoor air as a mixture of tens to hundreds of different compounds .…”

People's Emotional Responses to a Plant's Emotional Expression

“…Indoor plants also contribute to enhancing our pleasantness by alleviating people's tension and anxiety level [2]. More psychophysiological benefits from plants include visual fatigue alleviation from looking at plants [9], stress reduction [3], and air purification through the absorption and adsorption of harmful gases indoors [11].…”