A novel nano-TiO2-xNx composite was used as photocatalyst and added to the interior wall paint. The average diameter of nano-TiO2-xNx was about 20 nm. The majority crystal component of the sample was anatase and its o...A novel nano-TiO2-xNx composite was used as photocatalyst and added to the interior wall paint. The average diameter of nano-TiO2-xNx was about 20 nm. The majority crystal component of the sample was anatase and its optical absorption edge was shifted from 387 nm to 520 nm significantly. Nano-composite paint containing different dosage of nano- TiO2-xNx was investigated to study the properties of formaldehyde decomposition in the air. Testing results show that the formaldehyde decomposition ratio of that nano-paint can almost reach above 80%, especially for that of the paint containing 3% （w/w） nano-TiO2-xNx which exceeded 90%. The primary investigation on the reaction kinetics of photocatalytic formaldehyde decomposition indicated that the experiment data well fit the model of first-order reaction kinetics.展开更多
By using total volatile organic compounds （TVOC） as the objective volatile pollutant, the purification efficiency of some representative air purifiers bought in the market was determined under the relatively indepen...By using total volatile organic compounds （TVOC） as the objective volatile pollutant, the purification efficiency of some representative air purifiers bought in the market was determined under the relatively independent and stable environmental conditions supplied by the self-made multi- functional environmental test chamber. Various evaluation parameters of TVOC were calculated based on the tested results, such as purification ef- ficiency and removal rate. The results showed that the TVOC purification efficiency increased with enhancing the temperature or lessening the rela- tive humidity, but this effect is not obvious. The air purifiers which use photocatalytic technology have higher TVOC purification efficiency than those which only use some adsorption technology. The purification efficiency and removal rate can be more accurate to evaluate the purification efficiency of air purifiers.展开更多
Soil biofiltration, also known as soil bed reactor (SBR), technology was originally developed in Germany to take advantage of the diversity in microbial mechanisms to control gases producing malodor in industrial proc...Soil biofiltration, also known as soil bed reactor (SBR), technology was originally developed in Germany to take advantage of the diversity in microbial mechanisms to control gases producing malodor in industrial processes. The approach has since gained wider international acceptance and continues to see improvements to maximize microbial and process efficiency and extend the range of problematical gases for which the technology can be an effective control. We review the basic mechanisms which underlay microbial soil processes involved in air purification, advantages and limitations of the technology and the current research status of the approach. Soil biofiltration has lower capital and operating/energetic costs than conventional technologies and is well adapted to handle contaminants in moderate concentrations. The systems can be engineered to optimize efficiency though manipulation of temperature, pH, moisture content, soil organic matter and airflow rates. Soil air biofiltration technology was modified for application in the Biosphere 2 project, which demonstrated in preparatory research with a number of closed system testbeds that soil could also support crop plants while also serving as soil filters with airpumps to push air through the soil. This Biosphere 2 research demonstrated in several closed system testbeds that a number of important trace gases could be kept under control and led to the engineering of the entire agricultural soil of Biosphere 2 to serve as a soil filtration unit for the facility. Soil biofiltration, coupled with food crop production, as a component of bioregenerative space life support systems has the advantages of lower energy use and avoidance of the consumables required for other air purification approaches. Expanding use of soil biofiltration can aid a number of environmental applications, from the mitigation of indoor air pollution, as a method of reducing global warming impact of methane (biogas), improvement of industrial air emissions and prevention of accidental release of toxic gases.展开更多
In some old industrial plants,in order to meet the increasingly strict requirements of pollutant emission limits,it is necessary to install the compact filtration and/or purification devices in a given narrow machine ...In some old industrial plants,in order to meet the increasingly strict requirements of pollutant emission limits,it is necessary to install the compact filtration and/or purification devices in a given narrow machine room.Different types of structural configuration might influence air distribution inside these devices.The unreasonable air distribution might lead each part of filtration or purification media to operating at largely different air flow rates.Based on a computational fluid dynamics(CFD)model,this study explores the influence of different outlet positions and different upper heights on the flow field inside chamber.The porous medium model is employed to simulate the air flow in porous media.The changing structural configurations include three positioning cases of the outlet opening and eight height cases of the upper chamber.The root mean square is defined as the non-uniformity coefficient to evaluate the uniformity of air flow distribution.The results show that the farther distance between inlet and outlet openings will bring more uniform air distribution,and the increasing height of upper chamber totally trends to exhibit more uniform air distribution.展开更多
Sadatomi and Kawahara developed a special twin-fluid atomizer called a multi-fluid mixer, which can spray mists by supplying air alone because water is automatically sucked by a vacuum pressure arisen inside the mixer...Sadatomi and Kawahara developed a special twin-fluid atomizer called a multi-fluid mixer, which can spray mists by supplying air alone because water is automatically sucked by a vacuum pressure arisen inside the mixer. In the present paper, firstly, some applications of the mists sprayed by the atomizer are described. Secondly, the performance of the twin-fluid atomizer with best performance was compared with those of the commercial twin-fluid MMA100 type together with the single-fluid swirl type. In the CO2 adsorption tests, mists were sprayed five minutes by the respective types in turn in a test room, and time variations of CO2 concentration in air after the introduction of CO2 in the room were measured at the bottom of the room to compare the CO2 adsorption rates by the mists for the respective cases. In addition, diameters of droplets for the respective types were measured with a microscope. As a result, superiority of our twin-fluid atomizer was confirmed, because 40% droplets were 20 to 40 μm in diameter, and the CO2 adsorption rate by the mists with our twin-fluid atomizer was 25% higher than that with the commercial ones.展开更多
The mitigation of environmental and energy crises could be advanced by reclaiming platinum group precious metals(PGMs) from decommissioned air purification catalysts. However, the complexity of catalyst composition an...The mitigation of environmental and energy crises could be advanced by reclaiming platinum group precious metals(PGMs) from decommissioned air purification catalysts. However, the complexity of catalyst composition and the high chemical inertness of PGMs significantly impede this process. Consequently,recovering PGMs from used industrial catalysts is crucial and challenging. This study delves into an environmentally friendly approach to selectively recover PGMs from commercial air purifiers using photocatalytic redox technology. Our investigation focuses on devising a comprehensive strategy for treating three-way catalysts employed in automotive exhaust treatment. By meticulously pretreating and modifying reaction conditions, we achieved noteworthy results, completely dissolving and separating rhodium(Rh), palladium(Pd), and platinum(Pt) within a 12-h time frame. Importantly, the solubility selectivity persists despite the remarkably similar physicochemical properties of Rh, Pd, and Pt. To bolster the environmental sustainability of our method, we harness sunlight as the energy source to activate the photocatalysts, facilitating the complete dissolution of precious metals under natural light irradiation. This ecofriendly recovery approach demonstrated on commercial air purifiers, exhibits promise for broader application to a diverse range of deactivated air purification catalysts, potentially enabling implementation on a large scale.展开更多
The transmission of pathogenic airborne microorganisms significantly impacts public health and societal functioning.Ensuring healthy indoor air quality in public spaces is critical.Among various air purification techn...The transmission of pathogenic airborne microorganisms significantly impacts public health and societal functioning.Ensuring healthy indoor air quality in public spaces is critical.Among various air purification technologies,electrostatic precipitation and atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma are notable for their broad-spectrum effectiveness,high efficiency,cost-effectiveness,and safety.This review investigates the primary mechanisms by which these electrostatic methods collect and disinfect pathogenic aerosols.It also delves into recent advancements in enhancing their physical and chemical mechanisms for improve efficiency.Simultaneously,a thorough summary of mathematical models related to the migration and deactivation of pathogenic aerosols in electrostatic purifiers is provided.It will help us to understand the behavior of aerosols in purification systems.Additionally,the review discusses the current research on creating a comprehensive health protection system and addresses the challenges of balancing byproduct control with efficiency.The aim is to establish a foundation for future research and development in electrostatic aerosol purification and develop integrated air purification technologies that are both efficient and safe.展开更多
The aim was to explore the purification ability of potted taxus for indoor sulfur dioxide pollution. Three taxus cultivars were placed in different rooms. The air in the rooms was sampled continuously at the flow rate...The aim was to explore the purification ability of potted taxus for indoor sulfur dioxide pollution. Three taxus cultivars were placed in different rooms. The air in the rooms was sampled continuously at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, and the content of sulfur dioxide was determined by formaldehyde absorbing-pararosaniline spectrophotometry. The obtained linear equation for sulfur dioxide was as follows： y=0.030 1 x＋0.023 5, F=0.999 7. The content of sulfur dioxide in the three rooms placed with different taxus cultivars all declined, suggesting that potted taxus has a certain ability to purify sulfur dioxide. Among the taxus cultivars, Taxus yunnanensis showed the highest purification rate, followed by Taxus chinensis vat. mairei and Taxus media cv. Hicksii.展开更多
In this work,based on the role of pre-ionization of the non-uniform electric field and its effect of reducing the collisional ionization coefficient,a diffuse dielectric barrier discharge plasma is formed in the open ...In this work,based on the role of pre-ionization of the non-uniform electric field and its effect of reducing the collisional ionization coefficient,a diffuse dielectric barrier discharge plasma is formed in the open space outside the electrode structure at a lower voltage by constructing a three-dimensional non-uniform spatial electric field using a contact electrode structure.The air purification study is also carried out.Firstly,a contact electrode structure is constructed using a three-dimensional wire electrode.The distribution characteristics of the spatial electric field formed by this electrode structure are analyzed,and the effects of the non-uniform electric field and the different angles of the vertical wire on the generation of three-dimensional spatial diffuse discharge are investigated.Secondly,the copper foam contact electrode structure is constructed using copper foam material,and the effects of different mesh sizes on the electric field distribution are analyzed.The results show that as the mesh size of the copper foam becomes larger,a strong electric field region exists not only on the surface of the insulating layer,but also on the surface of the vertical wires inside the copper foam,i.e.,the strong electric field region shows a three-dimensional distribution.Besides,as the mesh size increases,the area of the vertical strong electric field also increases.However,the electric field strength on the surface of the insulating layer gradually decreases.Therefore,the appropriate mesh size can effectively increase the discharge area,which is conducive to improving the air purification efficiency.Finally,a highly permeable stacked electrode structure of multilayer wire-copper foam is designed.In combination with an ozone treatment catalyst,an air purification device is fabricated,and the air purification experiment is carried out.展开更多
Background,aim,and scope Owing to the rapid development of modernisation and urbanisation,living standards have gradually improved.However,the widespread use of high-energy-consuming indoor appliances and furniture ha...Background,aim,and scope Owing to the rapid development of modernisation and urbanisation,living standards have gradually improved.However,the widespread use of high-energy-consuming indoor appliances and furniture has made indoor environments a primary environmental problem affecting human health.Sick building syndrome(SBS)and building-related illness(BRI)have occurred,and indoor air conditions have been extensively studied.Common indoor pollutants include CO,CO_(2),volatile organic compounds(VOCs)(such as the formaldehyde and benzene series),NOx(NO and NO_(2)),and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs).VOCs have replaced SO_(2)as the“The Fourteenth Five-Year Plan”urban air quality assessment new indicators.Indoor VOCs can cause diseases such as cataract,asthma,and lung cancer.To protect human health,researchers have proposed several indoor air purification technologies,including adsorption,filtration,electrostatic dust removal,ozonation,and plant purification.However,each technology has drawbacks,such as high operating costs,high energy consumption,and the generation of secondary waste or toxic substances.Plant degradation of VOCs as a bioremediation technology has the characteristics of low cost,high efficiency,and sustainability,thereby becoming a potential green solution for improving indoor air quality.This study introduces the research status and mechanism of plant removal of indoor VOCs and provides an experimental basis and scientific guidance for analysing the mechanism of plant degradation of pollutants.Materials and methods This study reviews studies on the harm caused by indoor pollutants to human health and related sources,mainly investigating the degradation of indoor formaldehyde,BTEX(benzene,toluene,ethylbenzene,and xylene)plant mechanisms,and research results.Results Plants can remove VOCs via stomatal and non-stomatal adsorption,interfoliar microbial,rhizosphere microbial,and growth media.Benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)are adsorbed by pores,hydroxylated into fumaric acid,and then removed into CO_(2) and H_(2)O by TCA.Formaldehyde enters plant leaves through the stomata and epidermal waxy substances and is adsorbed.After the two steps of enzymatic oxidation,formic acid and CO_(2) are generated.Finally,it enters the Calvin cycle and removes glucose and other nontoxic compounds.Discussion The non-stomatal degradation of VOCs can be divided into adsorption by cuticular wax and active adsorption by plant surface microorganisms.The leaf epidermal waxy matter content and the lipid composition of the epidermal membrane covering the plant surface play important roles in the non-stomatal adsorption of indoor air pollutants.The leaf margin of a plant is an ecological environment containing various microbial communities.The endophytic and inoculated microbiota in plant buds and leaves can remove VOCs(formaldehyde and BTEX).Formaldehyde can be directly absorbed by plant leaves and converted into organic acids,sugars,CO_(2) and H_(2)O by microbes.Bioremediation of indoor VOCs is usually inefficient,leading to plant toxicity or residual chemical substance volatilisation through leaves,followed by secondary pollution.Therefore,plants must be inoculated with microorganisms to improve the efficiency of plant degradation of VOCs.However,the effectiveness of interfoliar microbial removal remains largely unknown and several microorganisms are not culturable.Therefore,methods for collecting,identifying,and culturing microorganisms must be developed.As the leaf space is a relatively unstable environment,the degradation of VOCs by rhizosphere microorganisms is equally important,and formaldehyde is absorbed more by rhizosphere microorganisms at night.The inoculation of bacteria into the rhizosphere improves the efficiency of plants in degrading VOCs.However,most of these studies were conducted in simulation chambers.To ensure the authenticity of these conclusions,the ability of plants to remove indoor air pollutants must be further verified in real situations.Conclusions Plant purification is an economical,environment-friendly,and sustainable remediation technology.This review summarises the mechanisms of VOC plant degradation and presents its limitations.Simultaneously,it briefly puts forward a plant selection scheme according to different temperatures,light,and specific VOCs that can be absorbed to choose the appropriate plant species.However,some studies have denied the purification effect of plants and proposed that numerous plants are required to achieve indoor ventilation effects.Therefore,determining the ability of plants to remove indoor VOCs requires a combination of realistic and simulated scenarios.Recommendations and perspectives Plants and related microorganisms play an important role in improving indoor air quality,therefore,the effect of plants and the related microorganisms on improving indoor air quality must be studied further and the effect of plants on indoor VOCs will be the focus of future research.展开更多
基金Project supported by the Foundation of National Key Technologies R&D Program--Shanghai World Expo Special Project (Grant No.04DZ05803)
文摘A novel nano-TiO2-xNx composite was used as photocatalyst and added to the interior wall paint. The average diameter of nano-TiO2-xNx was about 20 nm. The majority crystal component of the sample was anatase and its optical absorption edge was shifted from 387 nm to 520 nm significantly. Nano-composite paint containing different dosage of nano- TiO2-xNx was investigated to study the properties of formaldehyde decomposition in the air. Testing results show that the formaldehyde decomposition ratio of that nano-paint can almost reach above 80%, especially for that of the paint containing 3% （w/w） nano-TiO2-xNx which exceeded 90%. The primary investigation on the reaction kinetics of photocatalytic formaldehyde decomposition indicated that the experiment data well fit the model of first-order reaction kinetics.
基金Supported by Special Fund for Scientific Research in the Public Interest from State General Administration of Quality Supervision(201010052)Special Fund for Science and Technology Plan from State General Administration of Quality Supervision(2010Q144)
文摘By using total volatile organic compounds （TVOC） as the objective volatile pollutant, the purification efficiency of some representative air purifiers bought in the market was determined under the relatively independent and stable environmental conditions supplied by the self-made multi- functional environmental test chamber. Various evaluation parameters of TVOC were calculated based on the tested results, such as purification ef- ficiency and removal rate. The results showed that the TVOC purification efficiency increased with enhancing the temperature or lessening the rela- tive humidity, but this effect is not obvious. The air purifiers which use photocatalytic technology have higher TVOC purification efficiency than those which only use some adsorption technology. The purification efficiency and removal rate can be more accurate to evaluate the purification efficiency of air purifiers.
文摘Soil biofiltration, also known as soil bed reactor (SBR), technology was originally developed in Germany to take advantage of the diversity in microbial mechanisms to control gases producing malodor in industrial processes. The approach has since gained wider international acceptance and continues to see improvements to maximize microbial and process efficiency and extend the range of problematical gases for which the technology can be an effective control. We review the basic mechanisms which underlay microbial soil processes involved in air purification, advantages and limitations of the technology and the current research status of the approach. Soil biofiltration has lower capital and operating/energetic costs than conventional technologies and is well adapted to handle contaminants in moderate concentrations. The systems can be engineered to optimize efficiency though manipulation of temperature, pH, moisture content, soil organic matter and airflow rates. Soil air biofiltration technology was modified for application in the Biosphere 2 project, which demonstrated in preparatory research with a number of closed system testbeds that soil could also support crop plants while also serving as soil filters with airpumps to push air through the soil. This Biosphere 2 research demonstrated in several closed system testbeds that a number of important trace gases could be kept under control and led to the engineering of the entire agricultural soil of Biosphere 2 to serve as a soil filtration unit for the facility. Soil biofiltration, coupled with food crop production, as a component of bioregenerative space life support systems has the advantages of lower energy use and avoidance of the consumables required for other air purification approaches. Expanding use of soil biofiltration can aid a number of environmental applications, from the mitigation of indoor air pollution, as a method of reducing global warming impact of methane (biogas), improvement of industrial air emissions and prevention of accidental release of toxic gases.
基金National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFC0705305)。
文摘In some old industrial plants,in order to meet the increasingly strict requirements of pollutant emission limits,it is necessary to install the compact filtration and/or purification devices in a given narrow machine room.Different types of structural configuration might influence air distribution inside these devices.The unreasonable air distribution might lead each part of filtration or purification media to operating at largely different air flow rates.Based on a computational fluid dynamics(CFD)model,this study explores the influence of different outlet positions and different upper heights on the flow field inside chamber.The porous medium model is employed to simulate the air flow in porous media.The changing structural configurations include three positioning cases of the outlet opening and eight height cases of the upper chamber.The root mean square is defined as the non-uniformity coefficient to evaluate the uniformity of air flow distribution.The results show that the farther distance between inlet and outlet openings will bring more uniform air distribution,and the increasing height of upper chamber totally trends to exhibit more uniform air distribution.
文摘Sadatomi and Kawahara developed a special twin-fluid atomizer called a multi-fluid mixer, which can spray mists by supplying air alone because water is automatically sucked by a vacuum pressure arisen inside the mixer. In the present paper, firstly, some applications of the mists sprayed by the atomizer are described. Secondly, the performance of the twin-fluid atomizer with best performance was compared with those of the commercial twin-fluid MMA100 type together with the single-fluid swirl type. In the CO2 adsorption tests, mists were sprayed five minutes by the respective types in turn in a test room, and time variations of CO2 concentration in air after the introduction of CO2 in the room were measured at the bottom of the room to compare the CO2 adsorption rates by the mists for the respective cases. In addition, diameters of droplets for the respective types were measured with a microscope. As a result, superiority of our twin-fluid atomizer was confirmed, because 40% droplets were 20 to 40 μm in diameter, and the CO2 adsorption rate by the mists with our twin-fluid atomizer was 25% higher than that with the commercial ones.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2020YFA0211004)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (22176128 and 22236005)+7 种基金the Innovation Program of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission (2023ZKZD50)Program of Shanghai Academic Research Leader (21XD1422800)Shanghai Government (22dz1205400 and 23520711100)Chinese Education Ministry Key Laboratory and International Joint Laboratory on Resource ChemistryShanghai Eastern Scholar Programthe “111 Innovation and Talent Recruitment Base on Photochemical and Energy Materials” (D18020)Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Green Energy Chemical Engineering (18DZ2254200)Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Biomimetic Catalysis。
文摘The mitigation of environmental and energy crises could be advanced by reclaiming platinum group precious metals(PGMs) from decommissioned air purification catalysts. However, the complexity of catalyst composition and the high chemical inertness of PGMs significantly impede this process. Consequently,recovering PGMs from used industrial catalysts is crucial and challenging. This study delves into an environmentally friendly approach to selectively recover PGMs from commercial air purifiers using photocatalytic redox technology. Our investigation focuses on devising a comprehensive strategy for treating three-way catalysts employed in automotive exhaust treatment. By meticulously pretreating and modifying reaction conditions, we achieved noteworthy results, completely dissolving and separating rhodium(Rh), palladium(Pd), and platinum(Pt) within a 12-h time frame. Importantly, the solubility selectivity persists despite the remarkably similar physicochemical properties of Rh, Pd, and Pt. To bolster the environmental sustainability of our method, we harness sunlight as the energy source to activate the photocatalysts, facilitating the complete dissolution of precious metals under natural light irradiation. This ecofriendly recovery approach demonstrated on commercial air purifiers, exhibits promise for broader application to a diverse range of deactivated air purification catalysts, potentially enabling implementation on a large scale.
基金supported by the National Key Research&Development Plan(2017YFC0211804)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(21577088,22176123).
文摘The transmission of pathogenic airborne microorganisms significantly impacts public health and societal functioning.Ensuring healthy indoor air quality in public spaces is critical.Among various air purification technologies,electrostatic precipitation and atmospheric pressure nonthermal plasma are notable for their broad-spectrum effectiveness,high efficiency,cost-effectiveness,and safety.This review investigates the primary mechanisms by which these electrostatic methods collect and disinfect pathogenic aerosols.It also delves into recent advancements in enhancing their physical and chemical mechanisms for improve efficiency.Simultaneously,a thorough summary of mathematical models related to the migration and deactivation of pathogenic aerosols in electrostatic purifiers is provided.It will help us to understand the behavior of aerosols in purification systems.Additionally,the review discusses the current research on creating a comprehensive health protection system and addresses the challenges of balancing byproduct control with efficiency.The aim is to establish a foundation for future research and development in electrostatic aerosol purification and develop integrated air purification technologies that are both efficient and safe.
基金Supported by Key Science and Technology Program for Social Development of Guizhou Province(QKHSY[2013]3148)~~
文摘The aim was to explore the purification ability of potted taxus for indoor sulfur dioxide pollution. Three taxus cultivars were placed in different rooms. The air in the rooms was sampled continuously at the flow rate of 0.5 ml/min, and the content of sulfur dioxide was determined by formaldehyde absorbing-pararosaniline spectrophotometry. The obtained linear equation for sulfur dioxide was as follows： y=0.030 1 x＋0.023 5, F=0.999 7. The content of sulfur dioxide in the three rooms placed with different taxus cultivars all declined, suggesting that potted taxus has a certain ability to purify sulfur dioxide. Among the taxus cultivars, Taxus yunnanensis showed the highest purification rate, followed by Taxus chinensis vat. mairei and Taxus media cv. Hicksii.
基金supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(No.2022YJS094)。
文摘In this work,based on the role of pre-ionization of the non-uniform electric field and its effect of reducing the collisional ionization coefficient,a diffuse dielectric barrier discharge plasma is formed in the open space outside the electrode structure at a lower voltage by constructing a three-dimensional non-uniform spatial electric field using a contact electrode structure.The air purification study is also carried out.Firstly,a contact electrode structure is constructed using a three-dimensional wire electrode.The distribution characteristics of the spatial electric field formed by this electrode structure are analyzed,and the effects of the non-uniform electric field and the different angles of the vertical wire on the generation of three-dimensional spatial diffuse discharge are investigated.Secondly,the copper foam contact electrode structure is constructed using copper foam material,and the effects of different mesh sizes on the electric field distribution are analyzed.The results show that as the mesh size of the copper foam becomes larger,a strong electric field region exists not only on the surface of the insulating layer,but also on the surface of the vertical wires inside the copper foam,i.e.,the strong electric field region shows a three-dimensional distribution.Besides,as the mesh size increases,the area of the vertical strong electric field also increases.However,the electric field strength on the surface of the insulating layer gradually decreases.Therefore,the appropriate mesh size can effectively increase the discharge area,which is conducive to improving the air purification efficiency.Finally,a highly permeable stacked electrode structure of multilayer wire-copper foam is designed.In combination with an ozone treatment catalyst,an air purification device is fabricated,and the air purification experiment is carried out.
文摘Background,aim,and scope Owing to the rapid development of modernisation and urbanisation,living standards have gradually improved.However,the widespread use of high-energy-consuming indoor appliances and furniture has made indoor environments a primary environmental problem affecting human health.Sick building syndrome(SBS)and building-related illness(BRI)have occurred,and indoor air conditions have been extensively studied.Common indoor pollutants include CO,CO_(2),volatile organic compounds(VOCs)(such as the formaldehyde and benzene series),NOx(NO and NO_(2)),and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons(PAHs).VOCs have replaced SO_(2)as the“The Fourteenth Five-Year Plan”urban air quality assessment new indicators.Indoor VOCs can cause diseases such as cataract,asthma,and lung cancer.To protect human health,researchers have proposed several indoor air purification technologies,including adsorption,filtration,electrostatic dust removal,ozonation,and plant purification.However,each technology has drawbacks,such as high operating costs,high energy consumption,and the generation of secondary waste or toxic substances.Plant degradation of VOCs as a bioremediation technology has the characteristics of low cost,high efficiency,and sustainability,thereby becoming a potential green solution for improving indoor air quality.This study introduces the research status and mechanism of plant removal of indoor VOCs and provides an experimental basis and scientific guidance for analysing the mechanism of plant degradation of pollutants.Materials and methods This study reviews studies on the harm caused by indoor pollutants to human health and related sources,mainly investigating the degradation of indoor formaldehyde,BTEX(benzene,toluene,ethylbenzene,and xylene)plant mechanisms,and research results.Results Plants can remove VOCs via stomatal and non-stomatal adsorption,interfoliar microbial,rhizosphere microbial,and growth media.Benzene,toluene,and xylene(BTX)are adsorbed by pores,hydroxylated into fumaric acid,and then removed into CO_(2) and H_(2)O by TCA.Formaldehyde enters plant leaves through the stomata and epidermal waxy substances and is adsorbed.After the two steps of enzymatic oxidation,formic acid and CO_(2) are generated.Finally,it enters the Calvin cycle and removes glucose and other nontoxic compounds.Discussion The non-stomatal degradation of VOCs can be divided into adsorption by cuticular wax and active adsorption by plant surface microorganisms.The leaf epidermal waxy matter content and the lipid composition of the epidermal membrane covering the plant surface play important roles in the non-stomatal adsorption of indoor air pollutants.The leaf margin of a plant is an ecological environment containing various microbial communities.The endophytic and inoculated microbiota in plant buds and leaves can remove VOCs(formaldehyde and BTEX).Formaldehyde can be directly absorbed by plant leaves and converted into organic acids,sugars,CO_(2) and H_(2)O by microbes.Bioremediation of indoor VOCs is usually inefficient,leading to plant toxicity or residual chemical substance volatilisation through leaves,followed by secondary pollution.Therefore,plants must be inoculated with microorganisms to improve the efficiency of plant degradation of VOCs.However,the effectiveness of interfoliar microbial removal remains largely unknown and several microorganisms are not culturable.Therefore,methods for collecting,identifying,and culturing microorganisms must be developed.As the leaf space is a relatively unstable environment,the degradation of VOCs by rhizosphere microorganisms is equally important,and formaldehyde is absorbed more by rhizosphere microorganisms at night.The inoculation of bacteria into the rhizosphere improves the efficiency of plants in degrading VOCs.However,most of these studies were conducted in simulation chambers.To ensure the authenticity of these conclusions,the ability of plants to remove indoor air pollutants must be further verified in real situations.Conclusions Plant purification is an economical,environment-friendly,and sustainable remediation technology.This review summarises the mechanisms of VOC plant degradation and presents its limitations.Simultaneously,it briefly puts forward a plant selection scheme according to different temperatures,light,and specific VOCs that can be absorbed to choose the appropriate plant species.However,some studies have denied the purification effect of plants and proposed that numerous plants are required to achieve indoor ventilation effects.Therefore,determining the ability of plants to remove indoor VOCs requires a combination of realistic and simulated scenarios.Recommendations and perspectives Plants and related microorganisms play an important role in improving indoor air quality,therefore,the effect of plants and the related microorganisms on improving indoor air quality must be studied further and the effect of plants on indoor VOCs will be the focus of future research.
