Abstract:

To select suitable plants for use in purified indoor formaldehyde pollution, Seven species of ornamental plants were evaluated for their effectiveness in reducing formaldehyde concentrations in a simulated fumigating box environment, and the absorption capacities were compared and ranked according to the net ratio of absorption and the reduction of formaldehyde in the unit leaf area. Meanwhile, the leaf plasma membrane permeability, MDA content and POD activity were measured to assess those plants’ physiological responses to formaldehyde stress. The results indicated that the capacities of different plants in removing formaldehyde were different, and the order of the plants according to the absorption efficiency amount per unit of leaf area was Peperomia tetraphylla > Reineckea carnea > Aspidistra elatior > Crassula portulacea > Stromanthe sanguinea > Nidularium fulgens . The leaf relative conductivity, MDA content and POD activity of all the seven species changed after formaldehyde treatment and the resistances of different species to formaldehyde stress were different. According to formaldehyde removal capacity and the resistance measured in the experiment, 6 ornamental plants (including Peperomia tetraphylla、Reineckea carnea、Aspidistra elatior、Crassula portulacea、Stromanthe sanguine、Nidularium fulgens)had both higher removal capacities and higher resistance that were suitable to be used in indoor decoration.