1. Lecture # 19
Interior Air
Quality

2. City people / sq. mile Rank
Florida Cities
Urban Density/60 Cities
Density
City people / sq. mile Rank
Ft. Lauderdale 4,
St. Petersburg 4,
Orlando ,
Jacksonville
Range 23,369  714

3. Florida Cities and Rank:
75 Largest Metro Areas
Metro Area Population Rank
Miami-Ft. Laud.-
Hollywood ,192,
Tampa- St. Pet.-
Clearwater ,067,
Orlando ,072,
Jacksonville ,
West Palm Beach-
Boca Raton -
Delray Beach ,
Range ,953,372  659,864

4. Florida Cities and Rank: Moderate Air Pollution Days/75 Cities
City Number of Days Rank
Tampa
Jacksonville
Orlando
Miami
West Palm Beach
Range  3

5. * Acid rain, smog, toxic air pollutants, suspended particles.
What Is Air Pollution ?
The presence of chemicals / physical particles in the atmosphere that exceed harmless levels.
* Acid rain, smog, toxic air pollutants, suspended particles.

6. Examples of Air Pollutants
1 . Ethylene (C2H2)
2. Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
3. Ozone (O3)
4. Carbon monoxide (CO)
5. Carbon dioxide (CO2)
6. Nitrogen oxides (Nox)
7. Ammonia (NH3)
8. Peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN)
9. Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)
10. Particulates (Dust)

7. Gases and Interiorscape Plants
The essential gases (O2, CO2, NO2) are
involved in plant metabolism.
Interiorscape plants may purify air and
remove harmful gases from the
environment.

8. Gases and Interiorscape Plants
Some gaseous pollutants are highly
toxic to plants.
Plants are potential air polluters and
emit gases into the atmosphere.

9. Air Pollutants Affecting Interiorscape Plants
Injury can range from visible damage
on foliage to reduced growth, yield,
quality, life, and usefulness of the
plant, and to premature death.

10. Air Pollutants Affecting Interiorscape Plants
The severity of the injury depends on:
concentration of air pollutant
duration of exposure
plant’s genetic makeup
plant species and age
stage of plant development
plant’s nutritional status
abiotic factors
humidity
light levels
temperature
season of year

11. Air Pollutant: Sulfur dioxide
Injury:
Chronic - does not usually kill the tissues; results from low levels of pollution.
Acute - kills all or a portion of the leaf; results from a short - term, high levels of pollution.

12. Air Pollutant: Sulfur dioxide
Symptoms:
Bleached spots, bleached areas between veins, giving the “classic” SO2 symptom of tan-to-ivory brown areas between green veins; needle-like leaves turn yellow to brown if injury is acute.

13. Sulfur Dioxide Emissions (USA)
Million tons per year

14. Air Pollutant: Nitrogen Oxides
Injury:
Irregular white or brown collapsed lesion on interveinal tissue and near leaf margin.

15. Air Pollutant: Nitrogen Oxides
Sources:
High temperature combustion of coal, oil, gas, and gasoline in power plants and internal combustion engines.
Toxicity Levels (ppm): Plants
People - 5.0

16. Nitrogen Oxides Emissions (USA)
Million tons per year

17. Examples of Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)
1. Methanol - used as solvent, cleaner
and as a fuel.
2. Toluene - used in making perfumes,
dyes, medicine, explosives, detergents,
and in airplane gasoline.
3. Ammonia - used in making fertilizers,
plastics, dyes, and textiles.

18. Examples of Volatile Organic Chemicals (VOCs)
4. Acetone - used as a solvent.
5. Methyl chloroform - used as a
cleaning solvent.
6. Xylenes - used in making dyes, drugs,
insecticides, and gasoline.
7. Methylene chloride - used in food,
furniture and plastic processing.

19. Volatile Organic Compound Emissions (USA)
Million tons per year

20. Air Pollutant: Ozone
Injury and Symptoms:
Chronic - needle-like lvs. Show mottled green and yellow patches of tissue on the needle surface. Acute - the entire needle may turn brown.
Broadleaved plants show very small ‘flecks’ or ‘stipples’ of dead (brown) or pigmentd (red or purple) tissue on the upper surface; there is seldom any injury on the lower leaf surface.

21. Air Pollutant: Ozone
Toxicity Levels (ppm):
Plants
People

22. Air Pollutant: Ozone
Sources:
Natural component of upper atmosphere; filters out UV radiation; lightning can create it at ground level.
Major source is the urban environment - hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen are emitted from automotive exhaust systems; these compounds undergo photochemical reaction yielding ozone. In interiors a common source is sparking or arcing electric motors.

23. Carbon Monoxide Emissions (USA)
Million tons per year

24. Total Particulates Emissions (USA)
Million tons per year

25. Air Pollutant: Carbon dioxide
Symptoms:
Temporary elevation of plant growth rate.
Sources:
Combustion of hydrocarbons (wood, gas, fuel oil).
Toxicity Levels (ppm): Plants - 20,000
People - 5,000

26. ‘Greenhouse Effect’ Global Warming
Air Pollutant: Carbon dioxide
‘Greenhouse Effect’ Global Warming

27. Air Pollutant: Ethylene
Sources:
Man’s activities: incomplete combustion of coal, gas, and oil for heating, and automobile and truck exhaust. Natural occurrence: injured tissues, ripened fruits.
Toxicity Levels (ppm): Plants

28. Observed Responses of Nursery Crops to Ethylene Exposure
Abscission of flowers.
Abscission of foliage.
Chlorosis of foliage.
Epinasty of foliage.

29. Ethylene it induces the enzyme ACC synthase. Auxins also do this.
Ethylene has an autocatalytic activity,
it induces the enzyme ACC synthase.
Auxins also do this.
Wounding increases ethylene
production by inducing formation of
ACC synthase.

30. SAM (S-adenosyl methionine)
ENERGY
SAM (S-adenosyl methionine)
ENERGY (ATP)
ACC 1-Amino-cyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid
ACC Synthase
Synthesis of Endogenous Ethylene
ETHYLENE

31. Leaf Abscission

32. Air Pollutant: Ammonia
Sources: Biological processes; industry and urban activities, refrigerators.
Injury: Blackened and collapsed tissue. Initially, leaves may develop water-soaked appearance. Lower concentrations of NH3 produce light tan to dark brown bronzing on upper leaf surface and dark brown irregular, interveinal lesions extending through the leaf.

33. Air Pollutant: Ammonia
Toxicity Levels (ppm): Plants - > 1.25

34. Air Pollutant: Chlorine (Cl) and Hydrogen Chloride
Sources: Chlorinating equipment for swimming pools; sewage and industrial operations.
Symptoms: General leaf yellowing, stippling, scorching of leaf tips and margins, necrosis and leaf drop. Injury is first observed on the mature leaves.
Toxicity Levels (ppm): Plants

35. Air Pollutant: Fluorine (F), Hydrogen Fluoride (HF), Silicon Tetrafluoride (SiF4)
Sources: Growing media, superphosphate (fertilizer), perlite. Industry, coal combustion, volcanic eruptions, refineries, plastic manufacturing.
Injury:Dependent on the accumulation of fluoride to toxic levels. Gray or light green water-soaked lesions which turn tan to reddish brown.
Toxicity Levels for HF: Plants - 1 ppb

36. Air Pollutant: Peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN)
Sources: The action of sunlight on hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides released from automobile exhaust.

37. Air Pollutant: Peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN)
Injury: Plant tissue surrounding the stomates plasmolyzes and dies.
Enlarged, air-filled spaces develop beneath the lower epidermis resulting in a silvery appearance known as “silver leaf” or “leaf banding”.

38. Air Pollutant: Peroxyacetylnitrate (PAN)
Continued:
Early maturity, growth suppresion, heavy leaf abscission, bleaching, streaking, speckling, or anthocyanin formation may also occur.

39. Air Pollutant:
Mercury (Hg) Vapors
Sources: Greenhouse paint containing di-(phenylmercuric) dodecenylsuccinate; fungicides - mercury bichloride, organic and inorganic mercury compounds.
Symptoms: Yellow, brown, purplish and black leaves; curving downward and severe abscission of older leaves.

40. Pollutant : Benzene Symptoms:
Skin and eye irritant, may be a contributing factor to chromosomal aberrations and leukemia in humans; chronic exposure to even relatively low levels causes headaches, appetite loss, drowsiness, nervousness, psychological disturbances, anemia, bone marrow disease; it is considered a carcinogenic.

41. Pollutant : Benzene
Sources:
Inks, oils, paints, plastics, rubber, dyes, detergents, gasoline, pharmaceuticals, tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers.

42. Pollutant : Formaldehyde
Symptoms:
Irritates mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, throat, can cause contact dermatitis; irritation of upper respiratory tract and eyes and headaches; can cause asthma and is suspected of causing a rare type of throat cancer.

43. Pollutant : Formaldehyde
Sources:
Foam insulation, plywood, particle board, pressed-wood products, grocery bags, waxed papers, facial tissue; water repellants, fire retardants, carpet backing, permanent press clothing; cigarette smoke, natural gas, kerosene.

44. Pollutant : Trichloroethylene
Symptoms:
Considered a potent liver carcinogen by the National Cancer Institute.
Sources:
Primarily used in the metal degreasing and dry-cleaning industries; also in printing inks, paints, lacquers, varnishes, adhesives.

45. Synergistic Effect of Air Pollutants Can Cause More Severe Injury Than Any Pollutant Alone

46. Vegetation Injury From Other Agents Can Be Confused with Air Pollutant Injury

47. Let some of your more sensitive plants act as ‘biological indicators’.
Now You Are Convinced That Air Pollutants Is Having An Adverse Effect On Plants. How Can You Be Certain?
Answer One:
Look for some of the same sort of symptoms associated with diseases and physiological problems you are familiar.
Answer Two:
Let some of your more sensitive plants act as ‘biological indicators’.

48. SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
Occurrence: Tightly sealed, energy -
efficient buildings; recently constructed
buildings.
Symptoms: Headaches, watery eyes,
nausea, skin disorders and fatigue.
Signs of sick building: Musty, stuffy
smell and other lingering odors.

49. SICK BUILDING SYNDROME
Causes: Excessive moisture or humidity,
improper location of vapor retarders,
poor HVAC design and maintenance, poor
duct design, improper carpets, and poor
air circulation.
Persistence: Symptoms usually disappear
a few hours after the person leaves the
building.

50. Building Related Illnesses
Result in serious indoor air quality
( IAQ ) problems.
Persist even after the person is
removed from the causal factors.

51. Building Related Illnesses
Causal factors may be in the form of
pathogens such as mold, mildew,
bacteria, mites, or other agents such
as radon, volatile organic compounds
(VOCs), secondary smoke, dust,
chemicals such as formaldehyde and
carbon dioxide.
Example : Legionnaires' Disease

52. Sources of Indoor Pollutants
1. Humans - 'Bioeffluents' 2. Furniture ( Resins ) 3. Carpeting 4. Copy machines 5. Fax machines 6. Computers 7. Paneling ( Resins ) 8. Aerosols

53. BIOEFFLUENTS Acetone 50,700 Methyl Alcohol 74,400 Ethyl Acetate 25,400
Emission Rate Chemicals ug/Day/Person
Acetone ,700 Methyl Alcohol 74,400 Ethyl Acetate 25,400

54. How Plants Do It?
Interior plants remove various chemical compounds by: 1. Absorption Translocation Biodegradation.

55. Absorption Translocation Biodegradation HCHO
LIVING AIR PURIFICATION SYSTEM
HCHO
Absorption
Translocation
Biodegradation

56. RHIZOSPHERE : A zone or volume of soil / potting media influenced by the plant root system.

57. * Each plant has its own distinctive rhizospheric inhabitants due to
Pothos ssp.
Aloe ssp.
Opuntia ssp.
* Each plant has its own distinctive
rhizospheric inhabitants due to
differences in root exudates.
* Dominant bacteria is Pseudomonas.

58. Weights of Various Microorganisms per 8" Pot
Bacteria oz Fungi oz Actinomycetes oz Protozoa oz Algae oz

59. CAM Plants - Crassulacean Acid Metabolism
* 18 plant families including
Crassulas, Cacti, Orchids and Bromeliads.

60. Orchids Bromeliads
Plants Used: Chemicals Used:
Dendrobium Aechmea fasciata Phalaenopsis Cryptanthus Guzmania Neoregelia
Bioeffluents and Outgassing compounds

61. Air Sealed Chamber 2x2x3 ft
Air samples
Gaseous pollutants
Liquid pollutants
Air Sealed Chamber 2x2x3 ft

62. Carbon Dioxide Removal Rates of Different Plants
Carbon Dioxide ppm

63. Removal of Chemicals by the Dendrobium Orchid
ug Removed Emission Rate Chemicals Per Hour ug/Day/Person
Acetone , ,700 Methyl Alcohol , ,400 Ethyl Acetate , ,400 Ammonia , Formaldehyde Xylene Chloroform

64. HOW TO ACHIEVE A POLLUTANT - FREE HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENT WHILE MAINTAINING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN MODERN BUILDINGS ?