Improvement of Air Quality by Essential Oils from Woody Plants

Abstract

Many kinds of environmental pollutants exist in our living environment, and since the diseases they cause become problematic, there is an urgent need to develop removal methods. The use of highly volatile essential oils is expected to be one such method involving emissions into the air. Hinoki （Chamaecyparis obtusa） leaf oil has been found to be an active removal compound that effectively re- moves ammonia, and sugi （Cryptomeria japonica） leaf oil has been found to be an active removal com- pound that effectively removes formaldehyde. Also, Todomatsu （Abies sachalinensis） leaf oil has been found to be an active removal compound that effectively removes nitrogen dioxide. γ－terpinene, myrcene and β－phellandrene have been found to be a kind of active removal component for nitrogen dioxide. Furthermore, they are understood to generate particulate matter of particle size 1000 nm or more as the removal mechanism. From the fact that a relaxing effect, etc. have also been found in the essential oils, improvement of overall air quality can be expected from their use.