Abstract
We have developed a mini open-top chamber system (mini-OTCs) to assess the effect of air pollutants, especially ozone, in combination with temperature stress on plants. The external dimensions of the chamber are 60 cm (W) x 85 cm (D) x 120 cm (H), while the exposure space is 60 cm (W) x 60 cm (D) x 120 cm (H). Honeycomb filters made of inorganic fiber paper incorporating a catalyst for removing any ambient O3 were installed in the filtered air (CF) chambers, but those without a catalyst were installed in the non-filtered air (NF) chambers. Silicon rubber-coated belt heaters were used for preparing the temperature gradient. Experiments suggested that it had sufficient potential for assessing the effect of the ambient air quality on plant growth and/or yield in combination with the temperature gradient.
