scholarly journals Efficacy of Indoor Plants for the Removal of Single and Mixed Volatile Organic Pollutants and Physiological Effects of the Volatiles on the Plants

2006 ◽  
Vol 131 (4) ◽  
pp. 452-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mung Hwa Yoo ◽  
Youn Jung Kwon ◽  
Ki-Cheol Son ◽  
Stanley J. Kays
Keyword(s):  
Time Of Day ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Hedera Helix ◽  
Indoor Plants ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Volatile Organic Pollutants ◽  
Closed Environment ◽  
English Ivy

Foliage plants of Hedera helix L. (english ivy), Spathiphyllum wallisii Regal (peace lily), Syngonium podophyllum Schott. (nephthytis), and Cissus rhombifolia Vahl. (grape ivy) were evaluated for their ability to remove two indoor volatile organic air pollutants, benzene and toluene. Removal was monitored when the aerial portion of plants was exposed singly to 1 μL·L-1 or to 0.5 μL·L-1 of each gas in a closed environment over 6-hour periods during the day and the night. Selected physiological processes were assessed before and immediately after treatment to determine the effect of the gases on the plants. The effectiveness of plants in the removal of air pollutant(s) varied with species, time of day, and whether the gases were present singly or as a mixture. When exposed to a single gas, S. wallisii, S. podophyllum, and H. helix displayed higher removal efficiencies (ng·m-3·h-1·cm-2 leaf area) of either gas than C. rhombifolia during the day. The efficiency of removal changed when both gases were present; H. helix was substantially more effective in the removal of either benzene or toluene than the other species, with the removal of toluene more than double that of benzene. When exposed singly, the removal of both compounds was generally higher during the day than during the night for all species; however, when present simultaneously, H. helix removal efficiency during the night was similar to the day indicating that stomatal diffusion for english ivy was not a major factor. The results indicated an interaction between gases in uptake by the plant, the presence of different avenues for uptake, and the response of a single gas was not necessarily indicative of the response when other gases are present. Changes in the rates of photosynthesis, stomatal conductance, and transpiration before and after exposure indicated that the volatiles adversely affected the plants and the effects were not consistent across species and gases. Deleterious effects of volatile pollutants on indoor plants may be critical in their efficacy in improving indoor air quality and warrant further study.

scholarly journals Influence of Alumina Precursor Properties on Cu-Fe Alumina Supported Catalysts for Total Toluene Oxidation as a Model Volatile Organic Air Pollutant

Catalysts ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 252
Author(s):  
Tadej Žumbar ◽  
Alenka Ristić ◽  
Goran Dražić ◽  
Hristina Lazarova ◽  
Janez Volavšek ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Surface Characterization ◽  
Iron Concentration ◽  
Catalytic Performance ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Molar Ratio ◽  
Homogeneous Distribution ◽  
Total Oxidation ◽  
Alumina Support ◽  
Determining Factors ◽  
Volatile Organic

The structure–property relationship of catalytic supports for the deposition of redox-active transition metals is of great importance for improving the catalytic efficiency and reusability of the catalysts. In this work, the role of alumina support precursors of Cu-Fe/Al2O3 catalysts used for the total oxidation of toluene as a model volatile organic air pollutant is elucidated. Surface characterization of the catalysts revealed that the surface area, pore volume and acid site concentration of the alumina supports are important but not the determining factors for the catalytic activity of the studied catalysts for this type of reaction. The determining factors are the structural order of the support precursor, the homogeneous distribution of the catalytic sites and reducibility, which were elucidated by XRD, NMR, TEM and temperature programed reduction (TPR). Cu–Fe/Al2O3 prepared from bayerite and pseudoboehmite as highly ordered precursors showed better catalytic performance compared to Cu-Fe/Al2O3 derived from the amorphous alumina precursor and dawsonite. Homogeneous distribution of FexOy and CuOx with defined Cu/Fe molar ratio on the Al2O3 support is required for the efficient catalytic performance of the material. The study showed a beneficial effect of low iron concentration introduced into the alumina precursor during the alumina support synthesis procedure, which resulted in a homogeneous metal oxide distribution on the support.

scholarly journals Species and characteristics of volatile organic compounds emitted from an auto-repair painting workshop

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Y. Song ◽  
H. Chun
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Butyl Acetate ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Indoor Environments ◽  
Voc Emissions ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Adsorption Systems

AbstractVolatile organic compounds (VOCs) are secondary pollutant precursors having adverse impacts on the environment and human health. Although VOC emissions, their sources, and impacts have been investigated, the focus has been on large-scale industrial sources or indoor environments; studies on relatively small-scale enterprises (e.g., auto-repair workshops) are lacking. Here, we performed field VOC measurements for an auto-repair painting facility in Korea and analyzed the characteristics of VOCs emitted from the main painting workshop (top coat). The total VOC concentration was 5069–8058 ppb, and 24–35 species were detected. The VOCs were mainly identified as butyl acetate, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene compounds. VOC characteristics differed depending on the paint type. Butyl acetate had the highest concentration in both water- and oil-based paints; however, its concentration and proportion were higher in the former (3256 ppb, 65.5%) than in the latter (2449 ppb, 31.1%). Comparing VOC concentration before and after passing through adsorption systems, concentrations of most VOCs were lower at the outlets than the inlets of the adsorption systems, but were found to be high at the outlets in some workshops. These results provide a theoretical basis for developing effective VOC control systems and managing VOC emissions from auto-repair painting workshops.

Direct Comparison of Fluidized and Packed Bed Bioreactors for Bioremediation of an Air Pollutant

2007 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyla Clarke ◽  
Gordon A Hill ◽  
Todd S. Pugsley
Keyword(s):  
Packed Bed ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Fluidized Bed Bioreactor ◽  
Transfer Rates ◽  
Waste Gas ◽  
Glass Spheres ◽  
Fluidized Bioreactor ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Fluid Bed ◽  
Maximum Elimination Capacity

A gas-solid fluidized bed bioreactor has been successfully used for the bioremediation of ethanol (a model volatile organic compound, VOC) contaminated air. A key objective of this fluidized bioreactor study was to compare the performance of fluid bed operation to packed bed operation. A fluid bed system increased homogeneity and improved upon operating problems such as plugging and channelling normally associated with packed bed bioreactors. The bioreactor bed was comprised of a mixture of moist sawdust particles and glass spheres. Depending on the superficial velocity of the waste gas stream, the bioreactor could be operated in either packed or fluidized mode. During fluid bed operation, the sawdust and glass sphere mixture was maintained in a bubbling/slugging regime. As expected, fluid bed operation demonstrated significantly higher mass transfer rates but the maximum elimination capacity was 75 g m-3sawdust h-1 as compared to 225 g m-3sawdust h-1 for packed bed operation. In packed bed mode, higher ethanol concentrations were used in order to have comparable ethanol loadings and this may have contributed to faster growth rates and thus faster bioremediation rates.

Volatile organic pollutants in biota and sediments of Lake Pontchartrain

1985 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 246-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph B. Ferrario ◽  
George C. Lawler ◽  
Ildefonso R. DeLeon ◽  
John L. Laseter
Keyword(s):  
Organic Pollutants ◽  
Lake Pontchartrain ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Volatile Organic Pollutants

scholarly journals Characteristics of marine shipping emissions at berth: profiles for particulate matter and volatile organic compounds

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (13) ◽  
pp. 9527-9545 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Xiao ◽  
Mei Li ◽  
Huan Liu ◽  
Mingliang Fu ◽  
Fanyuan Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Mass Spectrometer ◽  
Elemental Carbon ◽  
Atmospheric Stability ◽  
Diesel Oil ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Emissions from ships at berth play an important role regarding the exposure of high density human populations to atmospheric pollutants in port areas; however, these emissions are not well understood. In this study, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particle emissions from 20 container ships at berth were sampled and analyzed during the “fuel switch” period at Jingtang Port in Hebei Province, China. VOCs and particles were analyzed using a gas chromatography-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) and a single particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SPAMS), respectively. VOC analysis showed that alkanes and aromatics, especially benzene, toluene and heavier compounds e.g., n-heptane, n-octane and n-nonane, dominated the total identified species. Secondary organic aerosol (SOA) yields and ozone (O3) forming potential were 0.017 ± 0.007 g SOA g−1 VOCs and 2.63 ± 0.37 g O3 g−1 VOCs, respectively. Both positive and negative ion mass spectra from individual ships were derived and the intensity of specific ions were quantified. Results showed that elemental carbon (35.74 %), elemental carbon–organic carbon mixtures (33.95 %) and Na-rich particles (21.12 %) were major classes, comprising 90.7 % of the particles observed. Particles from ship auxiliary engines were in the 0.2 to 2.5 µm size range, with a peak occurring at around 0.4 µm. The issue of using vanadium (V) as tracer element was examined, and it was found that V was not a proper tracer of ship emissions when using low sulfur content diesel oil. The average percentage of sulfate particles observed in shipping emissions before and after switching to marine diesel oil remained unchanged at 24 %. Under certain wind conditions, when berths were upwind of emission sources, the ratios before and after 1 January were 35 and 27 % respectively. The impact of atmospheric stability was discussed based on PM2.5 and primary pollutant (carbon monoxide) concentration. With a background of frequent haze episodes and complex mechanisms of particulate accumulation and secondary formation, the impact of atmospheric stability is believed to have been weak on the sulfate contribution from shipping emissions. The results from this study provide robust support for port area air quality assessment and source apportionment.

scholarly journals Analysis of Temporal Variations of Air Pollutant Concentrations in Ogoni Area, Niger Delta Region, Nigeria

2021 ◽  
pp. 63-73
Author(s):  
B. Yorkor ◽  
T. G. Leton ◽  
J. N. Ugbebor
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Temporal Variability ◽  
Niger Delta ◽  
Air Pollutants ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Time Of Day ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Pollutant Concentrations ◽  
Hourly Data ◽  
Air Pollutant Concentrations

This study investigated the temporal variations of air pollutant concentrations in Ogoni area, Niger Delta, Nigeria. The study used hourly data measured over 8 hours for 12 months at selected locations within the area. The analyses were based on time series and time variations techniques in Openair packages of R programming software. The variations of air pollutant concentrations by time of day and days of week were simulated. Hours of the day, days of the week and monthly variations were graphically simulated. Variations in the mean concentrations of air pollutants by time were determined at 95 % confidence intervals. Sulphur dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ground level Ozone (O3) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations exceeded permissible standards. Air pollutant concentrations showed increase in January, February, November and December compared to other months. Simulation showed that air pollutants varied significantly by hours-of-the-day and days-of-the-week and months-of-the-year. Analysis of temporal variability revealed that air pollutant concentrations increased during weekdays and decreased during weekends. The temporal variability of air pollutants in Ogoni area showed that anthropogenic activities were the main sources of air pollution in the area, therefore further studies are required to determine air pollutant dispersion pattern and evaluation the potential sources of air pollution in the area.

scholarly journals Importance of Meteorology and Chemistry in Determining Air Pollutant Levels During COVID-19 Lockdown in Indian Cities

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leigh Crilley ◽  
Yashar Iranpour ◽  
Cora J. Young
Keyword(s):  
Atmospheric Chemistry ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Mitigation Strategies ◽  
Ozone Production ◽  
Linear Relationships ◽  
Regional Sources ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Emission Changes ◽  
Indian Cities

To accurately quantify impact of short-term interventions (such as COVID-19 lockdown) on air pollutant levels, meteorology and atmospheric chemistry need to be considered in addition to emission changes. We demonstrate that regional sources have a significant influence on PM<sub>2.5 </sub>levels in Delhi and Hyderabad due to the small reduction calculated post-lockdown after weather-normalization, indicating that future PM<sub>2.5</sub> mitigation strategies should focus on national-scale, as well as local sources. Furthermore, we demonstrate with field measurements that ozone production in Delhi is likely volatile organic compound (VOC)-limited, in agreement with previous modelling predictions, indicating that ozone mitigation should focus on dominant VOC sources. This work highlights the complexity in developing mitigation strategies for air pollution due to its non-linear relationships with emissions, chemistry and meteorology.

scholarly journals Seasonal and Spatial Variation of Volatile Organic Compounds in Ambient Air of Almaty City, Kazakhstan

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. 1592
Author(s):  
Olga P. Ibragimova ◽  
Anara Omarova ◽  
Bauyrzhan Bukenov ◽  
Aray Zhakupbekova ◽  
Nassiba Baimatova
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Volatile Organic Compounds ◽  
Organic Compounds ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Ambient Air ◽  
Spatial Variations ◽  
Primary Sources ◽  
Volatile Organic ◽  
Seasonal And Spatial Variations ◽  
Before And After

Air pollution is one of the primary sources of risk to human health in the world. In this study, seasonal and spatial variations of multiple volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were measured at six sampling sites in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The seasonal and spatial variations of 19 VOCs were evaluated in 2020, including the periods before and after COVID-19 lockdown. The concentrations of 9 out of 19 VOCs had been changed significantly (p < 0.01) during 2020. The maximum concentrations of total VOCs (TVOCs) were observed on 15, 17, and 19 January and ranged from 233 to 420 µg m−3. The spatial distribution of TVOCs concentrations in the air during sampling seasons correlated with the elevation and increased from southern to northern part of Almaty, where Combined Heat and Power Plants are located. The sources of air pollution by VOCs were studied by correlations analysis and BTEX ratios. The ranges of toluene to benzene ratio and benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene demonstrated two primary sources of BTEX in 2020: traffic emissions and biomass/biofuel/coal burning. Most of m-, p-xylenes to ethylbenzene ratios in this study were lower than 3 in all sampling periods, evidencing the presence of aged air masses at studied sampling sites from remote sources.

scholarly journals First Report of Erysiphe cichoracearum Infecting Hedera canariensis var. azorica in Italy

Plant Disease ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 83 (2) ◽  
pp. 198-198
Author(s):  
C. Nali
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Powdery Mildew ◽  
Citrullus Lanatus ◽  
Ornamental Plants ◽  
Morphological Characteristics ◽  
Hedera Helix ◽  
Cucumis Sativus L ◽  
First Report ◽  
Erysiphe Cichoracearum ◽  
English Ivy

A powdery mildew disease of variegated ivy (Hedera canariensis L. var. azorica) was observed on the Tyrrhenian coast in Tuscany (Italy) in spring 1998. Symptoms began as small, nearly circular reddish spots that later enlarged and coalesced. The hyaline mycelium produced abundant, ellipsoid conidia in long chains that ranged from 20 to 40 μm in length and from 12 to 25 μm in width. Cleistothecia were globose (100 to 120 μm diameter), dark brown (when mature) with a basal ring of mycelioid appendages, and contained several (up to 20) ovate asci, each generally containing two ascospores. Ascospores were hyaline, one-celled, ellipsoid (20 to 35 μm in length and 10 to 20 μm in width). The morphological characteristics of this fungus were those given for Erysiphe cichoracearum DC. Infection also was found on English ivy (Hedera helix L.). It is reported that this species is, occasionally, subject to powdery mildew caused by E. cichoracearum (1). Conidia from infected leaves were shaken onto leaves of melon (Cucumis melo L.), cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.), watermelon (Citrullus lanatus [Thunb.] Matsum. & Nakai), lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) and variegated and English ivy. After 7 days, the disease was observed on cucumber, melon, watermelon, tobacco, and variegated ivy. Examination confirmed that test plants were infected with E. cichoracearum. This is the first report of E. cichoracearum on variegated ivy in Italy. Reference: (1) P. P. Pirone. 1970. Diseases and Pests of Ornamental Plants. The Ronald Press, New York.

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