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Uptake and degradation of trimethylamine by Euphorbia milii

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Abstract

Trimethylamine (TMA) is a volatile organic compound which causes not only unpleasant odor but also health concerns to humans. The average emission of TMA from food and fishery industries is 20.60 parts per billion (ppb) and emission from the gas exhausters is even higher which reaches 370 parts per million (ppm). In order to select the best plant TMA removal agent, in this study, 13 plants were exposed to 100 ppm of TMA and the remaining TMA concentration in their system was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC). Furthermore, plant metabolites from the selected plant were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The result showed that Euphorbia milii was the most superior plant for TMA removal and could absorb up to 90 % of TMA within 12 h. E. milii absorbed TMA via leaf and stem with 55 and 45 % uptake efficiency, respectively. Based on its stomatal movement during the exposure to TMA, it was implied that the plant switched the photosynthetic mode from crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM)-cycling to CAM and CAM-idling. The switching of photosynthetic mode might reduce the stomata role in TMA absorption. Fatty acids, alkanes, and fatty alcohols in the plant leaf wax were also found to contribute to TMA adsorption. Leaf wax, stomata, and other leaf constituents contributed 58, 6, and 36 %, respectively, of the total TMA absorption by the leaf. The analysis and identification of plant metabolites confirmed that TMA was degraded and mineralized by E. milii.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Directorate General of Higher Education (DGHE) of Indonesia Scholarship for financially supporting Mr. Dian Siswanto and UNESCO Biotechnology School in Asia Scholarship for financially supporting Ms. Yanvary Chhon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi, Bangkok, 10150, Thailand

    Dian Siswanto, Yanvary Chhon & Paitip Thiravetyan

  2. Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Brawijaya University, Malang, 65145, Indonesia

    Dian Siswanto

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  1. Dian Siswanto
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  2. Yanvary Chhon
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  3. Paitip Thiravetyan
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Correspondence to Paitip Thiravetyan.

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Responsible editor: Philippe Garrigues

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Siswanto, D., Chhon, Y. & Thiravetyan, P. Uptake and degradation of trimethylamine by Euphorbia milii . Environ Sci Pollut Res 23, 17067–17076 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6874-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-016-6874-z

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