THE CONTRIBUTION OF PLANTS FOR CO2 REMOVAL FROM INDOOR AIR

This paper deals with the ability of certain succulent plants in absorbing CO2 in different types of rooms inhabited by household members. Plants, generally, are known to remove CO2 in daytime in the presence of sunlight but certain succulent plants, which have a crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), have a specialized mechanism of stomatal opening and closing which help in the reduction of CO2 during night. A study, using Bryophyllum and Agave, has been carried out in rooms used mostly for resting and sleeping. The number of persons, along with many other parameters, plays a prominent role in the maintenance of CO2 levels in indoor conditions. These plants, grown in pots, were placed in the bedrooms. They lowered CO2 levels to a considerable extent, thus establishing the ability of succulents and CAM plants in lowering CO2 in indoor environments.