Abstract
Indoor plants can remove volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the air. The majority of knowledge comes from laboratory studies where results cannot directly be transferred to real-life settings. The aim of this study was to develop an experimental test system to assess VOC removal by indoor plants which allows for an improved real-life simulation. Parameters such as relative humidity, air exchange rate and VOC concentration are controlled and can be varied to simulate different real-life settings. For example, toluene diffusion through a needle gave concentrations in the range of 0.10-2.35 μg/L with deviations from theoretical values of 3.2-10.5 %. Overall, the system proved to be functional for the assessment of VOC removal by indoor plants with Hedera helix reaching a toluene removal rate of up to 66.5 μg/m2/h. The mode of toluene exposure (semi-dynamic or dynamic) had a significant influence on the removal rate obtained by H. helix.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Environmental Science and Pollution Research |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 13 |
| Pages (from-to) | 7838-7846 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| ISSN | 0944-1344 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2014 |
Keywords
- Dynamic- and semi-dynamic conditions
- Hedera helix
- Indoor air quality
- Removal rate
- Toluene
- VOC