• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.35-42
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• 1998

We compared absorption and adsorption rates of air pollutants by plants to eveluate the difference of absorption capacity of plant species and kinds of air pollutants, when foilage plants were exposed to $O_3$ and $SO_2$ singly and combiningly. Absorption and adsorption rates of three foliage plants exposed to $O_3$ and $SO_2$ singly and in combination varied a little according to plant species and kinds of air pollutants. But total absorption rate of Spathiphyllum patinii and Ficus benjamina was higher, and it was lower in Pachira aquatica. When exposed to $O_3$ and $SO_2$ at the same concentration, Pachira aquatica absorbed more $O_3$ than $SO_2$, in contrast to Ficus benjamina absorbing more $SO_2$. On the other hand, Spathiphyllum patinii absorbed as much $O_3$ as $SO_2$. Physiological activities were measured since absorption rates were affected by physiological characteristics of plants. Spathiphyllum patinii and Ficus benjamina showed higher photosynthetic and transpiration rates, and Pachira aquatica showed lower values. And diffusive and stomatal resistences of Pachira aquatica were higher than those of two other species. These results showed that absorption capacity was affected by the differences of physiological characteristics. Absorption capacity of air pollutants increased in plants, such as Spathiphyllum patinii and Ficus benjamina, which had high $SO_2$ absorption rate. We found that plants showing high $CO_2$ absorption rates absorb a lot of air pollutnats.

• Animal Systematics, Evolution and Diversity
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.121-125
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• 2002

Oligotoma saundersii(Westwood, 1837) was recognized on the bark of Pachira aquatica Aubl.(Bombacaeae), an ornamental tree growing in greenhouse, Seoul, Korea. The morphological characteristics and biology of O. saundersii are presented. This is the first record of the order Embiidina in Korea.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.377-380
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• 1998

In order to investigate the effects of foliage plants on the changes of indoor thermal- and hygro- environments, experiments were carried out in two rooms with similar physical factors. Changes of indoor environmental parameters according to the existence of plants, their arrangement methods, and the existence of wrapseal for protecting the loss of water from the pot soil were measured during certain periods in winter and summer season, using Pachira aquatica which is widely used as indoor plant and has higher photosynthetic and traspiration rate than other foliage plants. The data suggested that the existence of plants didn't affect directly on the indoor thermal environment, while relative humidity increased about 3~5%, regardless of season, by putting plants which had volume equivalent to 2.4% of room volume. In summer, there was no difference in increasing effect of relative humidity between parallel arrangement with window and spread arrangement in the room, but in winter the former arrangement was more effective than the later.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.864-870
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• 2010

This study was conducted to determine the effects of foliage plants on reducing indoor carbon dioxide ($CO_2$). Five foliage plants such as $Hedera$ $helix$ L., $Ficus$ $benjamina$ L., $Pachira$ $aquatica$, $Chamaedorea$ $elegans$, and $Ficus$ $elastica$ were selected and cultivated in two different growth medium (peatmoss and hydroball). Each plant was placed in an airtight chamber and then treated with the combinations of two different $CO_2$ concentrations (500 or 1,000 ppm) and two different light intensities (50 or $200{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$). The change of $CO_2$ concentration (ppm) in the airtight chamber during day and night was measured and then converted into the photosynthetic rate (${\mu}mol\;CO_2{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$). As the results, each foliage plant reduced $CO_2$ level in the airtight chamber for one hour by photosynthesis. $Pachira$ $aquatica$ and $Ficus$ $elastica$ absorbed $CO_2$ more effectively compared to the other plants. The plants exposed to higher $CO_2$ concentration (1,000 ppm) and higher light intensity ($200{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) showed more effective $CO_2$ elimination rate and photosynthetic rate. The plants that have wide leaves and big leaf areas such as $Pachira$ $aquatica$, $Hedera$ $helix$ L.,and $Ficus$ $elastica$ showed higher photosynthetic rate than the other plants that have smaller leaves. Released $CO_2$ concentration by respiration of the plants during the night was very low compared to the absorbed $CO_2$ concentration by photosynthesis during the day. There was no significant difference between peatmoss and hydroball medium on reducing $CO_2$ concentration and increasing photosynthetic rate. In conclusion, this study suggested that foliage plants can effectively eliminate indoor $CO_2$. Optimum environmental control in relation to photosyntheis and usage of right indoor foliage plants having lots of leaves and showing active photosynthesis even under low light intensity like indoor light condition would be required to increase the elimination capacity of indoor $CO_2$.

• Korean Journal of Environmental Agriculture
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.44-49
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• 2001

To study whether the secondary toxic substances such as ethylene and reactive oxygen species(ROS) are induced by air pollutants in foliage plants, $SO_2$ was fumigated to Pachira aquatica, Spathiphyllum patinii, and Hedera helix. $SO_2$ was controlled to $1\;{\mu}L/L$ and then fiumigated to plants for 2 days(8 hrs/day). It resulted in visible injury in P. aquatica and H. helix while no symptom appeared in S. patinii. Photosynthetic rate and water use efficiency were most remarkably reduced in P. aquatica compared to other two species whereas least in S. patinii. Two days after $SO_2$ fumigation, ethylene evolution was quantified to 23.56, 10.43 and 4.79 nL/g/h in P. aquatica, H. helix and S patinii, respectively. On the other hand, antioxidative enzymes were clearly activated by $SO_2$ treatment in all tested plant species implying ROS production. In conclusion, we could suggest that ethylene and ROS have been intimately related to the defense mechanism against $SO_2$ and their induction degree increased with plant susceptibility to $SO_2$. Furthermore, it was found that S. patinii was tolerant and P. aquatica sensitive to $SO_2$ on the basis of antioxidative enzyme activity and ethylene evolution.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.476-483
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• 2010

Total bacterial populations were cultured from the Hydroball cultivation media in the rhizospheres of 9 different plants including $Hedera$ $helix$ L. and $Dracaena$ $deremensis$ cv. Warneckii Compacta, etc. These cultured bacterial populations were studied to test if the bacterial populations in the plant growing pots may play a role on removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene and toluene in the air. To meet this objective, first, we tested the possibility of removal of VOCs by the cultured total bacteria alone. The residual rates of benzene by the inoculation of total bacterial populations from the different plant growth media were significantly different, ranging from 0.741-1.000 of $Spathiphyllum$ $wallisii$ 'Regal', $Pachira$ $aquatica$, $Ficus$ $elastica$, $Dieffenbachia$ sp. 'Marrianne' Hort., $Chamaedorea$ $elegans$, compared to the control with residual rate of 0.596 (LSD, $P$=0.05). This trend was also similar with toluene, depending on different plants. Based on these results, we inoculated the bacterial population cultured from $P.$ $aquatica$ into the plant-growing pots of $P.$ $aquatica$, $F.$ $elastica$, and $S.$ $podophyllum$ inside the chamber followed by the VOCs injection. The inoculated bacteria had significant effect on the removal of benzene and toluene, compared to the removal efficacy by the plants without inoculation, indicating that microbes in the rhizosphere could play a significant role on the removal of VOCs along with plants.

• Horticultural Science & Technology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.928-936
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• 2010

This study was conducted to select efficient foliage plants for improving indoor environment conditions through the investigation of physiological responses including photosynthetic rate according to temperature, light intensity, and $CO_2$ level. Eight popular foliage plants used in this study were $Hedera$ $helix$ L., $Cissus$ $rhombifolia$ Vahl, $Ficus$ $benjamina$ L. 'Hawaii', $Syngonium$ $podophyllum$ Schott 'Albo-Virens', $Dieffenbachia$ $sp.$ 'Marrianne', $Pachira$ $aquatica$ Aubl., $Spathiphyllum$ $wallisii$ Regel, and $Scindapsus$ $aureus$ Engler. Photosynthetic rate and transpiration rate of the plants subjected to various light intensities (0, 25, 50, 75, 100, 150, 300, and $600{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$ PPFD), $CO_2$ levels (0, 50, 100, 200, 400, 700, and $1,000{\mu}molCO_2{\cdot}mol^{-1}$), and two different temperatures (16 and $22^{\circ}C$) were measured. In addition, various parameters in relation to photosynthesis were calculated from the measured data. As a result, the patterns of photosynthesis varied among 8 foliage plants according to light intensity, $CO_2$ level, and temperature. Most foliage plants except $Dieffenbachia$ had high levels of apparent quantum yield, which represents the photosynthetic rate under low light intensity (PPFD $0-100{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$). $Hedera$ $helix$, $Ficus$ $benjamina$, $Pachira$ $aquatica$, and $Spathiphyllum$ $wallisii$ exposed to high light intensity (PPFD $200-600{\mu}mol{\cdot}m^{-2}{\cdot}s^{-1}$) showed high levels of photosynthesis. $Cissus$ $rhombifolia$ and $Syngonium$ $podophyllum$ were low in $CO_2$ fixation efficiency compared to the other 6 foliage indoor plants. $Hedera$ $helix$ and $Spathiphyllum$ $wallisii$ showed high photosynthetic rate under high $CO_2$ level and vigorous photosynthesis was also observed in $Ficus$ $benjamina$ and $Pachira$ $aquatica$ grown under $22^{\circ}C$. Considering characteristics of indoor environment such as low light, high $CO_2$ level, and low relative humidity, therefore, $Hedera$ $helix$, $Spathiphyllum$ $wallisii$, $Ficus$ $benjamina$, and $Pachira$ $aquatica$ were efficient indoor foliage plants to improve indoor environmental conditions.

• Journal of Korean Society for Atmospheric Environment
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.537-544
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• 1998

We selected Spathiyhyllum patinii and Pachira aqkatica, since the former has high O3 absorption while the latter low absorption, and analyzed physiological factors such as diffusive coefficient, transpiration rate, photosynthetic rate, and CO2 absorption rate, which affected O3 absorption capacity There was significant relationship between gas absorption capacity and the other factors; photosynthetic rate, diffusive resistance, stomatal resistance and CO2 absorption rate. Therefore model formula for estimation of O3 absorption rate in plant was formulated by making use of these factors. There was difference for the estimation of O3 absorption rate according to plant species. In case of Spathiphyllum patinii, photosynthetic rate is an optimal factor for estimation of O3 absorption capacity. On the other hand, stomatal resistance and diffusive resistance are optimal factors of Pachira aquatica among various physiological ones. And we knew that CO2 absorption rate is a potential factor to evaluate gas absorption capacity regardless of plant species. But considering efficiency and practicality, diffusive resistance was the most effective factor for the estimation of O3 gas absorption.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.53-58
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• 2008

With architectural technology, a building has been a far dense and close. So the thermal environment of the building has become pleasant, but the quality of indoor air has been degraded. Using synthetic products for construction materials and furniture indoors escalates the concentration of volatile organic compounds(VOCs) at indoor air, threatening the health of the residents. To reduce the concentration of volatile organic compounds at indoor air, many methods are designed, and of late, concern has been increased about the effect of air purification using air purifying plants. Field measurements were performed using Aglaonema brevispathum, Pachira aquatica and Ficus benjamiana, which were verified as air-purifying plants by NASA. The effect of reducing the concentration of air contaminants by plant studied in a full scale mock-up model. The variations of concentration of Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Formaldehyde were monitored. In most cases, the effect was excellent in Toluene and formaldehyde in summer.

• Journal of People, Plants, and Environment
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.637-646
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• 2020

Background and objective: The main objective of this study is to measure the amount of particulate matter (PM) reduction under different characteristics of leaves in 18 different species of indoor plants. Methods: First, a particular amount of PM was added to the glass chambers (0.9×0.86×1.3 m) containing the indoor plant (height = 40 ± 20 cm), and the PM concentration were measured at 2-hour intervals. The experiment with the same conditions was conducted in the empty chamber as the control plot. Results: The range of PM reduction per unit leaf area of 18 species of experimental plants was 3.3-286.2 ㎍·m^-2 leaf, total leaf area was 1,123-4,270 cm², and leaf thickness was 0.14-0.80 mm and leaf size 2.27-234.47 cm². As time passed, the concentration of PM decreased more in the chamber with plants than in the empty chamber. Among the 18 indoor plants, the ones with the greatest reduction in PM2.5 in 2 hours and 4 hours of exposure to PM2.5 were Pachira aquatica and Dieffenbachia amoena. As the exposure time of PM increased, the efficiency of reducing PM2.5 was higher in plants with medium-sized leaves than plants with large or small leaves. The effect of reducing PM2.5 was higher in linear leaves than round or lobed leaves. Plants with high total leaf area did not have advantage in reducing PM because the leaves were relatively small and there were many overlapping parts between leaves. In the correlation between leaf characteristics and PM 2.5 reductions, all leaf area and leaf thickness showed a negative and leaf size showed a positive correlation with PM reduction. Conclusion: The PM reduction effect of plants with medium-sized leaves and long linear leaves was relatively high. Moreover, plants with a large total leaf area without overlapping leaves will have advantaged in reducing PM. Plants are effective in reducing PM, and leaf characteristics are an important factor that affects PM reduction.