The Effect of Improving Indoor Air Quality using some C3 Plants and CAM Plants

Abstract

This paper will describe the physiological characteristics of general ornamental plants and flesh plants that have contrary effects from the preceding researches, and describe the purification effects of volatile organic compound, formaldehyde. The total removal of carbon dioxide per plant was measured by adding and subtracting amount of photosynthesis and respiration for 24 hours in airtight chamber as follows: from change in concentration of carbon dioxide during the 24 hours after the chamber has been shut, the ornamental plant Spathiphyllum spp., Epipremnum aureum, Hedera helix showed decrease in carbon dioxide concentration under environment with light by photosynthesis and increase under environment without light. In case of flesh plant Sansevieria trifasciata var., Notocactus leninghausii, Myrtillocactus polylopha, opposite from the ornamental plant, carbon dioxide concentration changed due to respiration under light and photosynthesis under environment without light. For Spathiphyllum spp. 94ppm per 1,000 cm2 of leaf, and 70ppm for Epipremnum aureum, 28ppm for Hedera helix, 52ppm for Sansevieria trifasciata var., 66ppm for Notocactus leninghausii, and 114ppm for Myrtillocactus polylopha. After injecting 400ppb of formaldehyde, removal of formaldehyde due to adsorption and absorption caused by photosynthesis was calculated with comparison against standard value. Graph of change in formaldehyde concentration showed that ornamental plants Spathiphyllum spp., Epipremnum aureum, and Hedera helix flesh plants such as Sansevieria trifasciata var., Notocactus leninghausii, Myrtillocactus polylopha showed different physiological activities but removal of formaldehyde due to photosynthesis was high for both sorts. Per 1,000 cm2 of leaf area, Spthiphyllum spp., removed 173ppb of formaldehyde, Epipremnum aureum 158ppb, Hedera helix 128ppb, Sansevieria trifasciata var. 94ppb, Notocactus leninghausii 93ppb, and Myrtillocactus polylopha removed 106ppb of formaldehyde. From the above results, the air purification ability for plants can vary significantly under different conditions of temperature, humidity, radiation intensity and continuous researches on the interactions among such conditions and the complex effects of air purification ability is necessary.