TITLE:
Dual-Benefit Enhancement of Air Purification by Hydroponic Plants Using Smart Planters
AUTHORS:
Meng Fan, Xintong Wu, Jiabei Wen, Linana Hu, Hua Xu, Wei Ding
KEYWORDS:
Smart Planter, Hydroponic Plants, Negative Air Ions, Air Purification, Indoor Horticulture
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.16 No.6,
June
12,
2026
ABSTRACT: To address the scarcity of negative air ions (NAIs) in indoor environments and the high energy consumption of conventional air purification technologies, this study proposed a “smart planter-hydroponic plant” system for improving indoor air quality. Four common indoor hydroponic plant species were selected as monitoring objects. By integrating the precise regulation of light, temperature, water, and nutrients provided by smart planters, closed-environment simulation experiments were conducted to quantify plant-derived NAI release and formaldehyde removal performance, thereby evaluating the enhancement potential of intelligent control technologies. The results showed that: 1) Chlorophytum comosum was the optimal species for the smart planter-hydroponic plant system. When combined with the smart planter, the maximum NAI concentration in the closed environment reached 3681 ions/cm3, representing an increase of more than approximately 1.8-fold compared with single-plant cultivation in a conventional planter, while the formaldehyde removal rate reached 60.51%; 2) The smart planter mitigated the decline in purification efficiency under low-light or dark conditions through an active NAI-generating module and intelligent regulation of plant physiological status, thereby ensuring sustained and stable indoor air quality improvement. This study demonstrates the dual enhancement effect of smart planters on hydroponic plants and provides a theoretical basis and technical approach for developing healthy indoor horticultural systems.