Abstract
Preliminary experiments by Wolverton et al., first with NASA, and then for the US Interior Plantscape Division of ALCA, have shown that selected indoor potted plants, in test chambers, can reduce concentrations of volatile indoor pollutants such as formaldehyde or benzene by up to 90%. This paper outlines plans to take this pilot work further in new directions, under Australian conditions, by: testing the efficacy of local varieties of indoor foliage plants to reduce concentrations of volatile organics in a 'real-world' situation, namely a selected air-conditioned office building in the Sydney area; extending Wolverton's methodology, using Australian pot-plant varieties carrying out a series of studies on the mechanisms of absorption and assimilation by plants and soil microorganisms; initiating selection and breeding programs for the varieties tested. This work has enormous potential world-wide across the full range of indoor environments, m which the population of modern cities spend most of their time. These include commercial, public utility (e.g., schools, hospitals), and private dwelling environments.