Disruption of Photochemical Co2 Metabolism during Foliar Purification of Formaldehyde in Epipremnum Aureum

Abstract

It has been well established that Epipremnum aureum (Golden Pothos) has the capability to rid the air of various toxins, including carbon monoxide, benzene, and formaldehyde. However, while various studies have looked into the threshold of toxins Pothos can remove, the metabolic pathway and products of the detoxification process, as well as its effects on the overall metabolic health and stability of the purifying species, remain unknown. In this study, an isolated Pothos leaf underwent 24-hour exposure periods during which formaldehyde solution (5.43M) was introduced at a constant rate (evaporated at atmospheric pressure) into the isolation chamber. Mass spectroscopy analysis revealed atmospheric CO2 levels to fall into a negatively-correlated phase pattern with formaldehyde vapour concentration, in contrast to control fluctuations within atmospheric O2 and N2 levels. Results implicate a C1 metabolic pathway as Pothos’ primary purification mechanism for formaldehyde, in addition to partial oxidation of the end product (i.e. formate) into CO2.