Water, Air, & Soil Pollution

, 224:1736 | Cite as

Benzene Adsorption by Plant Leaf Materials: Effect of Quantity and Composition of Wax

  • Chairat Treesubsuntorn
  • Parinda Suksabye
  • Sawitree Weangjun
  • Fonthip Pawana
  • Paitip Thiravetyan
Article
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Abstract

Twenty-one plant leaf materials were screened for benzene adsorption efficiency in the static system, and the leaf material from Dieffenbachia picta, Acrostichum aureum, Ficus religiosa, Lagerstroemia macrocarpa, Alstonia scholaris, and Dracaena sanderiana were found to have high potential for benzene removal. The relation between quantity and composition of wax to benzene removal efficiency was studied. Although high quantities of wax occurred in some leaf materials, low benzene removal was clearly found if compared with other plant materials with the same wax quantity. Alpha-linoleic acid and dodecyl cyclohexane were found to be the main composition in plant leaf materials with high benzene adsorption, and it might be a key factor for benzene removal.

Keywords

Plant leaf material Cuticular wax Benzene 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Thailand Research Fund and King Mongkut’s University and Technology Thonburi (KMUTT) for their support for this research through the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program (Grant No. PHD/0319/2550).

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Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  • Chairat Treesubsuntorn
    • 1
  • Parinda Suksabye
    • 2
  • Sawitree Weangjun
    • 2
  • Fonthip Pawana
    • 2
  • Paitip Thiravetyan
    • 1
  1. 1.School of Bioresources and TechnologyKing Mongkut’s University of Technology ThonburiBangkokThailand
  2. 2.Department of Urban and Industrial Environmental Management, Science and Technology FacultySuan Dusit Rajabhat UniversityBangkokThailand

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