Abstract
As part of a study to examine the effect of indoor plants on the concentration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), the concentration level of formaldehyde was monitored in an aqueous solution containing gardening medium. The rate at which the concentration decreased peaked at around 35 °C and neutral pH, and accelerated with the passage of the incubation time. Further, sterilization of the vessel, instrument and soil by heating or the addition of a disinfectant, sodium azide, to the solution system restrained the reduction of formaldehyde. These results suggest that the decrease in formaldehyde concentration is due to degradation by microorganisms. Because the process is not reversible, the plants in a room may contribute to the lowering of the formaldehyde concentration in air, the formaldehyde being effectively absorbed by the moist gardening medium.
