Using indoor plants as biomonitors for detection of toxic metals by tobacco smoke

Abstract

Clean air is an indispensable resource for modern world. Many people are indifferent to the seriousness of air pollution or have only recently realized the problem. The air pollution continues deteriorating with several emissions every year on global scale. Beside various sources, tobacco smoke has caused the indoor air pollution. One of the most important of these factors is smoking. Especially indoor air pollution occurs depending on tobacco use. Exposure to cigarette smoke is recognized as the most significant health problem in indoor air. The study aims to evaluate the toxic metal accumulation due to tobacco smoke indoors by using some indoor ornamental plants. In this study, Dieffenbachia amoena, Dracena marginata, Ficus elastica, Spathiphyllum wallisii, and Yucca massengena were used houseplants as biomonitors. Accumulation of some toxic metals can be easily seen in indoor plants. Cadmium (Cd), chrome (Cr), and lead (Pb) were selected that high emissions from tobacco smoke. They were determined by taking the leaves of the plant species and analyzed with inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The Cd, Cr, and Pb concentrations (Pb > Cr > Cd) were higher with tobacco than non-tobacco in all species. The results showed that Spathiphyllum wallisii was selected to be most suitable as biomonitor.