Highlights
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- VOC leaf-air concentrations factors measured using static headspace method.
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- Leaf-air concentration factors related to leaf lipid content and chemical Koa.
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- Leaf concentrations paralleled measured air concentrations during residential study.
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- Plant leaves show potential as cost effective, real-time indoor air VOC samplers.
Abstract
Volatile
organic compounds (VOCs) enter indoor environments through internal and
external sources. Indoor air concentrations of VOCs vary greatly but
are generally higher than outdoors. Plants have been promoted as indoor
air purifiers for decades, but reports of their effectiveness differ.
However, while air-purifying applications may be questionable, the waxy
cuticle coating on leaves may provide a simple, cost-effective approach
to sampling indoor air for VOCs. To investigate the potential use of
plants as indoor air VOC samplers, a static headspace approach was used
to examine the relationship between leaf and air concentrations, leaf
lipid contents and octanol-air partition coefficients (Koa) for six VOCs
and four plant species. The relationship between leaf and air
concentrations was further examined in an actual residence after the
introduction of several chlorinated VOC emission sources. Leaf-air
concentration factors (LACFs), calculated from linear regressions of the
laboratory headspace data, were found to increase as the solvent
extractable leaf lipid content and Koa value of the VOC increased. In
the studies conducted in the residence, leaf concentrations paralleled
the changing air concentrations, indicating a relatively rapid air to
leaf VOC exchange. Overall, the data from the laboratory and residential
studies illustrate the potential for plant leaves to be used as cost
effective, real-time indoor air VOC samplers.
Keywords
- Leaf-air concentration factors;
- Passive sampler;
- Indoor air contamination;
- Octanol-air partition coefficients;
- Chlorinated solvents;
- Indoor air quality
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