Indoor Ecosystem Services: Impacts of Plants on Air Quality

Ecosystem services have been the focus of recent research on ecology, biodiversity and human health. As most of this research has placed emphasis on natural ecosystems, there is a lack of data on the effect of indoor and urban ecosystems on both human health and the quality of human life. One of the most common health issues associated with urban and indoor spaces is the quality of air. Considering that humans spend most of their time indoors, accompanied by a lack of fresh air due to industry growth and environmental degradation, there is an obvious need for a non-invasive and non-obtrusive air purification system. This paper presents the results of the indoor air quality monitoring under non-controlled conditions, i.e. the changes in air quality induced by the common indoor ornamental plant Sansevieria trifasciata ‘Laurentii’. The following air quality parameters were observed: the relative humidity and temperature of air, as well as the concentrations of carbon-dioxide, methane and overall VOCs. Measurements were performed using the commercial CO₂ data logger Extech SD800 and the in-house developed Arduino Uno-based measuring device with different sensors. The results obtained show the changes in the indoor air quality relative to the presence or absence of the selected plants. A sudden increase in the overall VOC (NH₃, NO_x, benzene and smoke), methane and carbon-dioxide concentrations was recorded after the plants were removed from the indoor space. The purpose of this research is to form a basis for designing a biological purification system as a low-cost and environment-friendly method for the monitoring and purification of indoor air.