Fuelling phytoremediation: gasoline degradation by green wall systems—a case study

The capacity for indoor plants including green wall systems to remove specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is well documented in the literature; however under realistic settings, indoor occupants are exposed to a complex mixture of harmful compounds sourced from various emission sources. Gasol...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental science and pollution research international 2023-12, Vol.30 (56), p.118545-118555
Main Authors: Matheson, Stephen, Fleck, Robert, Lockwood, Thomas, Gill, Raissa L, Irga, Peter J, Torpy, Fraser R
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Air Pollutants - analysis
Air Pollution, Indoor - analysis
Aquatic Pollution
Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution
Benzene
Benzene Derivatives
Biodegradation, Environmental
Drawdown
Earth and Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Emissions
Environment
Environmental Chemistry
Environmental Health
Environmental Monitoring
Gasoline
Hexadecane
Hydrocarbons
Organic compounds
Phytoremediation
Research Article
VOCs
Volatile organic compounds
Volatile Organic Compounds - analysis
Waste Water Technology
Water Management
Water Pollution Control
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Summary:The capacity for indoor plants including green wall systems to remove specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is well documented in the literature; however under realistic settings, indoor occupants are exposed to a complex mixture of harmful compounds sourced from various emission sources. Gasoline vapour is one of the key sources of these emissions, with several studies demonstrating that indoor occupants in areas surrounding gasoline stations or with residentially attached garages are exposed to far higher concentrations of harmful VOCs. Here we assess the potential of a commercial small passive green wall system, commercially named the ‘LivePicture Go’ from Ambius P/L, Australia, to drawdown VOCs that comprise gasoline vapour, including total VOC (TVOC) removal and specific removal of individual speciated VOCs over time. An 8-h TVOC removal efficiency of 42.45% was achieved, along with the complete removal of eicosane, 1,2,3-trimethyl-benzene, and hexadecane. Further, the green wall also effectively reduced concentrations of a range of harmful benzene derivatives and other VOCs. These results demonstrate the potential of botanical systems to simultaneously remove a wide variety of VOCs, although future research is needed to improve upon and ensure efficiency of these systems over time and within practical applications.
ISSN:1614-7499
0944-1344
1614-7499
DOI:10.1007/s11356-023-30634-1