Formaldehyde removal by common indoor plant species and various growing media

Abstract Three porous materials (growstone, expanded clay and activated carbon) were evaluated as hydroponic growing media and for their individual ability to remove the indoor volatile organic compound formaldehyde under three conditions: growing medium alone, dry medium in a pot, and wet medium in a pot. The total percent-reduction of formaldehyde by each growing media was evaluated over a 10-h period. In all cases, activated carbon achieved the highest removal under the three conditions studied with average percent reductions measured at about 98%. Four common interior plants: Hedera helix (English ivy), Chrysanthemum morifolium (pot mum), Dieffenbachia compacta (dump cane) and Epipremnum aureum (golden pathos) growing in growstone were then tested for their ability to remove formaldehyde. The removal capacity of the aerial plant parts (AP), the root zone (RZ) and the entire plant (EP) growing in growstone were determined by exposing the relevant parts to gaseous formaldehyde (∼2000 μg m−3) in a closed chamber over a 24-h period. The removal efficiency between species and plant parts were compared by determining the time interval required to decrease about 2/3 of the total formaldehyde concentration reduction, T2/3. The T2/3 measured were 23, 30, 34 and 56 min for EP of C. morifolium, E. aureum, D. compacta and H. helix, respectively. The formaldehyde removal by the root zone was found to be more rapid than the removal by the aerial plant parts.

[1]  Peder Wolkoff,et al.  Cancer effects of formaldehyde: a proposal for an indoor air guideline value , 2010, Archives of Toxicology.

[2]  Risto Kostiainen,et al.  Volatile organic compounds in the indoor air of normal and sick houses , 1995 .

[3]  Caroline H. Pearson-Mims,et al.  Particulate matter accumulation on horizontal surfaces in interiors: Influence of foliage plants , 1996 .

[4]  J. Dat,et al.  The biofiltration of indoor air: air flux and temperature influences the removal of toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene. , 2001, Environmental science & technology.

[5]  T. Godish,et al.  An assessment of botanical air purification as a formaldehyde mitigation measure under dynamic laboratory chamber conditions. , 1989, Environmental pollution.

[6]  S. Kays,et al.  Efficacy of Indoor Plants for the Removal of Single and Mixed Volatile Organic Pollutants and Physiological Effects of the Volatiles on the Plants , 2006 .

[7]  Andrew K. Persily,et al.  Indoor air quality in sustainable, energy efficient buildings , 2011 .

[8]  Zygmunt J. Haas,et al.  Public safety , 2006, IEEE Communications Magazine.

[9]  Charles J. Kibert,et al.  Sustainable Construction : Green Building Design and Delivery , 2005 .

[10]  Gary R. Krieger,et al.  Clinical Environmental Health and Toxic Exposures , 2001 .

[11]  D. Eastmond,et al.  Formaldehyde exposure and leukemia: a new meta-analysis and potential mechanisms. , 2009, Mutation research.

[12]  Fraser R. Torpy,et al.  Potted-plant/growth media interactions and capacities for removal of volatiles from indoor air , 2002 .

[13]  Fraser R. Torpy,et al.  Removal of Benzene by the Indoor Plant/Substrate Microcosm and Implications for Air Quality , 2004 .

[14]  B. C. Wolverton,et al.  Houseplants, Indoor Air Pollutants, and Allergic Reactions , 1986 .

[15]  Bjørn Lomborg,et al.  The Skeptical Environmentalist , 2001 .

[16]  A. Lau,et al.  Biofiltration: A promising and cost‐effective control technology for Odors, VOCs and air toxics , 1997 .

[17]  Ki-Cheol Son,et al.  Efficiency of Volatile Formaldehyde Removal by Indoor Plants: Contribution of Aerial Plant Parts versus the Root Zone , 2008 .

[18]  R. C. Bansal,et al.  Activated Carbon Adsorption , 2005 .

[19]  Jonathan M. Samet,et al.  Indoor Air Pollution: A Public Health Perspective , 1993 .

[20]  E. Žuškin,et al.  Indoor air pollution and effects on human health , 2009 .

[21]  Rufus Edwards,et al.  VOC concentrations measured in personal samples and residential indoor, outdoor and workplace microenvironments in EXPOLIS-Helsinki, Finland , 2001 .

[22]  B. C. Wolverton.  Foliage Plants for Improving Indoor Air Quality , 1988 .

[23]  O. Herbarth,et al.  Seasonal cycle of VOCs in apartments. , 2003, Indoor air.

[24]  Kwang Jin Kim,et al.  Evaluating the Relative Health of Residents in Newly Built Apartment Houses according to the Presence of Indoor Plants , 2010 .

[25]  W. H. Engelmann,et al.  The National Human Activity Pattern Survey (NHAPS): a resource for assessing exposure to environmental pollutants , 2001, Journal of Exposure Analysis and Environmental Epidemiology.

[26]  Wilco W. Chan,et al.  Indoor air quality in new hotels’ guest rooms of the major world factory region , 2009 .

[27]  Derrick Crump,et al.  A review of the emission of VOCs from polymeric materials used in buildings , 1998 .

[28]  P Wolkoff,et al.  Trends in Europe to reduce the indoor air pollution of VOCs. , 2003, Indoor air.

[29]  William J. Fisk,et al.  Some Quantitative Relations between Indoor Environmental Quality and Work Performance or Health , 2006 .

[30]  S. Keith,et al.  Toxicological profile for benzene , 2007 .

[31]  Caroline H. Pearson-Mims,et al.  Interior Plants May Improve Worker Productivity and Reduce Stress in a Windowless Environment , 1996 .

[32]  J. B. Sullivan,et al.  Chapter 14 – Indoor Environmental Quality and Health , 2013 .

[33]  A. Zuckerman,et al.  IARC Monographs on the Evaluation of Carcinogenic Risks to Humans , 1995, IARC monographs on the evaluation of carcinogenic risks to humans.

[34]  K Ikeda,et al.  Variations of formaldehyde and VOC levels during 3 years in new and older homes. , 2006, Indoor air.

[35]  M. Tuller,et al.  Physical characterization of greenhouse substrates for automated irrigation management , 2008 .

[36]  Song JongEun,et al.  Effects of foliage plants and potting soil on the absorption and adsorption of indoor air pollutants. , 2000 .

[37]  Charles J. Weschler,et al.  Changes in indoor pollutants since the 1950s , 2009 .

[38]  Hui Ding,et al.  Which ornamental plant species effectively remove benzene from indoor air , 2007 .

[39]  William J. Fisk,et al.  Review of health and productivity gains from better IEQ , 2000 .

[40]  C. Langebartels,et al.  Detoxification of Formaldehyde by the Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum L.) and by Soybean (Glycine max L.) Cell-Suspension Cultures , 1994, Plant physiology.

[41]  M Krzyzanowski,et al.  The right to healthy indoor air: status by 2002. , 2003, Indoor air.

[42]  Vincent Platel,et al.  Biological treatment of indoor air for VOC removal: potential and challenges. , 2008, Biotechnology advances.

[43]  B. C. Wolverton,et al.  Plants And Soil Microorganisms : Removal of Formaldehyde, Xylene, and Ammonia from the Indoor Environment , 1993 .

[44]  A. P. Schwab,et al.  Adsorption of naphthalene onto plant roots , 1998 .

[45]  Heribert Schmitz,et al.  Assimilation and metabolism of formaldehyde by leaves appear unlikely to be of value for indoor air purification , 2000 .

[46]  Lew Harriman,et al.  Humidity Control Design Guide for Commercial and Institutional Buildings , 2001 .

[47]  Ingrid Kraffczyk,et al.  Soluble root exudates of maize: Influence of potassium supply and rhizosphere microorganisms. , 1984 .

[48]  Thad Godish,et al.  Indoor Environmental Quality , 2000 .