Isolation and Characterization of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) Metabolizing Bacteria From the Rhizospheres of Indoor Plants.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are of concern for indoor air quality due to their potential to cause respiratory related ailments. Studies have indicated that a large variety of plants used as indoor ornamentals have the capacity to remove VOCs from indoor air. It has also been documented that the microbial community in the rhizosphere contributes to the VOCs removal but this role has not been well investigated. The purpose of this study is to isolate bacteria from the rhizosphere of commonly used foliage plants and test their VOCs removal ability under a controlled environment. Four species of potted plants (Hemigraphis exotica, Fittonia argyroneura, Hoya carnosa and Hedera helix) were treated with toluene in desiccators 8 hrs a day for 2 months. Bacteria were extracted from their rhizospheres and were cultured on
minimum salt medium with toluene as the only carbon source. BOX-Polymerase Chain Reaction (BOX-PCR) was used to screen the isolated bacteria for genetic similarities before sequencing. The isolates are further being characterized for the ability to degrade toluene using 14C-labeled toluene as a substrate.