Re: Is the gas/air inside a fruit/vegies that is hollow purified in any way?

Musgrave et al. (2004) measured the internal cavity of green pepper during
normal development and found the following composition: 16-21% oxygen,
10,000-40,000 ppm or 1 to 4% carbon dioxide and 4-260 ppb ethylene. The normal
atmospheric levels are about 21% oxygen and 400 ppm carbon dioxide. Basically,
the carbon dioxide concentration was up to 1,000 times greater in the fruit than
outside. It appears the decrease in oxygen was roughly balanced by an increase
in carbon dioxide. That makes sense given cellular respiration requires oxygen
and produces carbon dioxide. 

It seems like carbon dioxide does not readily diffuse out of the pepper fruit
but is trapped there. That may be because there are no stomata on the fruit
surface and it has a waxy cuticle to reduce the rate of water loss.

The second reference indicates that the internal air space in fruits is about 95
to 98% relative humidity.

References


Musgrave, M.E., J. Blasiak and A. Kuang. 2004. Roles of intra-fruit oxygen and
carbon dioxide in controlling pepper seed development and storage reserve
deposition. American Society of Gravitational and Space Biology Annual Meeting 


Storage conditions affecting the life of fruit.