Differences in purifying and resistance tolerance ability of Scindapsus and Chlorophytum to formaldehyde pollution

Abstract

Formaldehyde is a major indoor air pollutant, and its removal decreases the health risk of urban inhabitants. Scindapsus and Chlorophytum are indoor plants that have been reported to remove formaldehyde. However, their ability to absorb formaldehyde, their resistance, and their morphological changes in response to formaldehyde absorption have not been reported to date. In this study, both Scindapsus and Chlorophytum were used as test materials and their phenotype, microscopic change, enzyme activity, gene expression, and ability to absorb formaldehyde were investigated in response to formaldehyde stress. The results showed that the ability of Chlorophytum to absorb formaldehyde was stronger than that of Scindapsus; moreover, the expression level of the ADH2 gene in Chlorophytum was significantly higher than in Scindapsus. However, Chlorophytum suffered more severe damage of the leaves than Scindapsus. The superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase enzyme activities of Chlorophytum were lower than those of Scindapsus in response to formaldehyde absorption. This showed that compared with Scindapsus, Chlorophytum had a strong ability to absorb formaldehyde but a weaker ability to tolerate formaldehyde. Based on these results, to purify formaldehyde pollution from indoor air, it is recommended to use the Chlorophytum. However, regular replacement of these damaged Chlorophytum plants should be implemented to retain a beautiful indoor environment.