Keywords
Indoor Air Purification
Phytoremediation
Trimethylamine
Volatile Organic Compound
How to Cite
Abstract
The study investigated the ability and effectiveness of ornamental plants in purifying indoor air by removing trimethylamine (TMA). To determine the best plant as a TMA removal agent, seven ornamental plant species were selected and placed in sealed fumigation chambers that were exposed to 100 ppm of TMA, and the remaining TMA concentration in their system was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). The result showed that all seven ornamental plants effectively uptake TMA within 16 hours. Euphorbia milii had the highest removal efficiency of TMA (97.0%), followed by Spathiphyllum cannifolium (93.5%), Anthurium andraeanum (91.7%), Sanchezia speciosa (91.5%), Pseuderanthemum atropurpureum (90.6%), Ixora chinensis (89.6%), and Asplenium nidus (88.7%). There was no significant correlation between TMA uptake and photosynthesis (Fv/Fm ratio), stomatal density, or crude wax content, suggesting that other physiological factors such as cuticular properties or stress responses may play a role in purifying the TMA. Fatty acids, alkanes, and fatty alcohols in the plant leaf wax were identified and contributed to TMA adsorption. These findings highlight the potential of ornamental plants for the remediation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in indoor environments as natural indoor air purifiers due to their efficient ability to remove TMA from the air under controlled laboratory conditions, likely through a combination of adsorption, uptake, and possible internal processing.
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