Ethylene (C2H4) is an odourless and colourless plant hormone in gaseous form, that exists in plants and which is triggered at maturity in fruits. Ethylene is also known as the ‘death or ripening hormone’ and plays a regulatory role in many processes of plant growth & development
Being a gas, Ethylene can permeate through barriers like corrugated cardboard, plastic containers and natural barriers like cell walls and plasma walls. When Ethylene comes in contact with the Ethylene receptors, a reaction on the genetic level starts, depending upon which stage of the life cycle the fruit is in.
| Fruits | Ethylene effect on fruits |
| Apples | Scald |
| Grapes | Mold |
| Bananas | Decay |
| Apricots | Decay |
| Pears | Browning |
| Passion Fruit | Shriveling and weight loss |
| Cherimoya | Rapid softening |
| Vegetables | Ethylene effect on vegetables |
| Potatoes | Sprouting |
| Onions/Garlic | Odour |
| Carrots | Bitterness |
| Green leafy vegetables | Loss of colour |
| Pears | Browning |
| Lettuce | Darkens and turns slimy |
| Cabbage | Leaf abscission |
Ethylene removal is a harmless process that does not affect the property of fruit or vegetable. Ethylene that is released naturally can be continuously removed by Bry-Air Ethylene Scrubber (BES) through the process of adsorption and chemisorption.
Bry-Air Ethylene Scrubber (BES) extends shelf life of fruits and vegetables, minimizes loss due to decay, ensures off season availability and eliminates harmful preservation.
practices that use Nitrogen and Sulphur gas. Fruits and vegetables, thus retain their naturalness and can be ripened as per demand without bearing traces of toxic gases.
Ethylene is slightly lighter than air but when comes in contact with cool air, it comes down. When BES is placed in airflow on the floor in a closed system, it sucks air from its lower ducts and passes it through the specially designed honeycomb matrix chemical filter.
Ethylene get immediately neutralized chemically, when it comes in contact with filter and releases clean air outside containing no bad effects on fruits and vegetables. Bry-Air’s new honeycomb matrix-based macro porous chemical filters are metal silicates impregnated with Potassium Permanganate (KMnO4). Potassium Permanganate is an oxidizer that reacts with Ethylene in the air and releases CO2 and water.
