Modeling to Reduce the Indoor Air Pollution in Dhaka: An Evidence from Randomized Experiment of NASA Recommended Plants

Abstract

Spider plant (Chlorophytum elatum), Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata), Dracaena (Dracaena marginata) and Aloe vera (Aloe vera) are selected to conduct the experiment because which is the National Aeronautics Space Administration NASA recommended plants that are available in Bangladesh. In this study Indoor Air Quality Index (IAQI) is estimated by using seven parameters such that PM2.5, PM10, CO2/PPM, Formaldehyde, Volatile organic compounds, Temperature and Humidity. Dracaena has significantly impact to reduce PM2.5 after one month later 36.00 to 28.33. Also Dracaena and Aloe vera have significantly impact to reduce PM10 after one month later (46.00 to 36.33) and (21.33 to 44.33 to 32.67) respectively. Results showed that the more decreasing rate of CO2/PPM is recorded from Spider plant about 622 to 620 then 615. Another finding is that the highest rate of change of formaldehyde is planting Aloe vera (24%). The results of VOC obtained from Spider plant (0.290 to 0.204 to 0.178) gave positive results compared to other plants. Effects of different types of plants showed significant differences on room temperature. The highest rate of change of temperature (6%) is recorded from Snake plants and Aloe vera. The highest increasing rate of change of humidity (7.3%) is recorded from Snake plants. One month later after plantation, the sub indices of major four pollutants such that PM2.5, PM10, CO2/PPM and Formaldehyde are similar without CO2/PPM. Sub indices of PM2.5 are less than 50 and one is near to fifty. The lowest score of sub indices of HCHO (less than 40) is recorded from Spider plants (25) whereas the statistically followed is obtained from PM10. Aggregation of sub indices to get the overall IAQI by maximum operator method IAQI = Max (Isi1, Isi2, Isi3, Isi4) because a health based index cannot be combined or weighted. Finally results shows that  IAQI of this study one month later after plantation for each type of plants are satisfactory but not good.