Estudio de la variación de la concentración CO2 en respuesta a la implementación de Epipremnum aureum en espacios cerrados

Abstract

In recent years, indoor air quality (IAC) has become a matter of great concern due to various health problems caused by the presence of indoor pollutants (particularly carbon dioxide CO2). To counteract this, phytoremediation has been implemented, one of the most effective sustainable strategies to purify indoor air, as it is easy to apply and maintain. This research evaluated the capacity of the indoor plant species Epipremnum aureum to capture CO2 in the air of closed spaces. Initially, the total leaf area of the plants was calculated for five months by means of image superimposition, the processing and digitization of which was carried out with the Autodesk® program version 3.4.0.3. As a result, a variation of 2.52% of the leaf area was obtained, in addition to significant growth (20 new leaves). Inside a test chamber, the behavior of CO2 concentration, temperature and humidity in the presence of plants was investigated, due to the action of the metabolic transformation processes that they experience when diversifying the light intensity. This species demonstrated a CO2 removal efficiency between 9.58% and 19.55% in five hours, with an illumination level of 10,000 lux and 500 lux, respectively. The experimental results allowed us to generate a mathematical model, which facilitates decision-making regarding the applicability of this pollutant mitigation methodology in spaces with conditions similar to those studied. The results generated from this research contribute to the search for sustainable solutions to improve air quality, which simultaneously favors people’s quality of life.