Characterisation of fungal and bacterial dynamics in an active green wall used for indoor air pollutant removal

Fleck, R.; Gill, Raissa L.; Pettit, Thomas; Irga, Peter J.; Williams, Nathan L. R.; Seymour, Justin R.; Torpy, Fraser R.

doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2020.106987

Cited by 33 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…Darlington and colleagues did observe increased fungal spores in the indoor air during the first year of operation of a moss biofilter using lava rock a support media but remained within typical reported fungal counts of indoor spaces such as flats containing house plants (100-200 CFU m −3 ), considered a healthy level (Darlington et al 2000). This was more recently confirmed by Fleck et al (2020) who concluded that fungal spores are emitted in concentrations well below WHO safety guidelines from active green walls when operated under well monitored conditions. Some organisms present in buildings may have infectious potential, but some are not highly virulent and rarely cause infection in people with healthy lungs and healthy immune systems.…”

Section: The Risk Of Microbial Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 62%

Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Kraakman

González-Martín

Pérez

et al. 2021

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

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Studies on human exposure to indoor air pollution reveal that indoor environments could be at least twice as polluted as outdoor environments. Indoor air pollution has not received as much attention than outdoor air pollution, despite an adult spending now most of the time indoors as a result of the global shift in the economy from the manufacturing sector towards the service and knowledge-based sectors, which operate in indoor office environments.Additionally, the health threats caused by a long-term exposure to indoor air pollution have become more apparent over the last decades as buildings are progressively sealed against the outside climate conditions to obtain heating and cooling energy cost savings and in response to stricter safety guidelines. Currently there is not a single technology that can efficiently provide a complete and satisfactory purification of indoor air. Biological systems for improving indoor air quality are promising, but challenges need to be considered to properly address the bioavailability of low pollutant concentrations, guarantee microbial safety, and incorporate CO2-removal. This study presents the recent research advances in biological

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Section: The Risk Of Microbial Emissionsmentioning

confidence: 62%

Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Kraakman

González-Martín

Pérez

et al. 2021

Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol

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“…This is not directly related to indoor plants, but there are few innovative methods for indoor plants to be implemented to earn LEED credits. First, a biofilter wall is a wall filled with hydroponic plants to be integrated with a ventilation system to improve air quality [77,78]. Second, biophilia design is a type of interior landscaping to replicate nature indoors to give users visual comfort [79,80].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving the IAQ for Learning Efficiency with Indoor Plants in University Classrooms in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Jung

Awad

2021

Buildings

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The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of improving indoor air quality with indoor plants. As a methodology, two target classrooms with the same size (120.64 m2) and 32 students per room were selected. Then, 48 areca palm pots (average leaf area of 300 cm2/pot) were placed, and the plant density was 14.68% of the floor area. Subjective assessment for general questions, learning motivation, perceived air quality, and SBS symptoms was conducted at 5 min after the class started and 5 min before the class ended. The results showed that the CO2 concentration by respiration of the students (average of 1873 ppm) exceeded the regulatory standard (1000 ppm), but the students did not recognize the indoor CO2 concentration. The increase in CO2 concentration in the classroom was lower in the case with plant placement (624 ppm) compared with the case without plant placement (about 1205 ppm). It was statistically proven that the CO2 concentration by respiration could be reduced by 50% if the indoor plant leaf area density were maintained at about 14.68% of the floor area. In the case with plant placement, the students perceived the indoor air quality to be 40% fresher and showed a 140% higher acceptability. Moreover, the complaining of SBS symptoms was improved by 108%, and the students’ perception that it was better to focus on learning increased by about 120%. As the awareness of sustainability increases, indoor plants will be more actively placed in the United Arab Emirates. Indoor plants not only provide a visual green effect to improve human comfort but also purify indoor air pollutants.

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“…ABB has been found beneficial for pollutant removal along with the potential for increasing humidity and air cooling. It has also been well studied that these systems do not promote fungal spread if kept in a wellmonitored condition (Fleck et al, 2020). Moreover, the esthetic value of ABB acts as an added benefit for positive mental effects.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Active Botanical Biofiltration in Built Environment to Maintain Indoor Air Quality

Mannan

Al-Ghamdi

2021

Front. Built Environ.

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The implementation of sustainable solutions for maintaining indoor air quality has become a particular concern to the building community. Research on green technologies for indoor air has highlighted the potential of active botanical biofiltration (ABB) systems, where the air is circulated through the plant root zone as well as the growing medium for maximum phytoremediation effect. ABB has been found beneficial for pollutant removal along with the potential for increasing humidity and air cooling. Assessment in laboratory condition revealed the removal efficiency of ABB systems ranged from 54 to 85% for total suspended particulate matters where gaseous pollutants such as formaldehyde and toluene removal efficiencies were 90% and over 33%, respectively, in real environment. Moreover, the esthetic value of ABB acts as an added benefit for positive mental effects. However, very limited data is available to date that demonstrates the pollutant removal efficiency of ABB systems in realistic indoor environments, and the mechanisms behind this emerging technology are still poorly understood. The purpose of this mini review study is to present a quantitative assessment of the recent advancement of ABB systems and indoor air quality. Finally, the limitations of ABB systems and research gaps are highlighted for future improvement.

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Characterisation of fungal and bacterial dynamics in an active green wall used for indoor air pollutant removal

Cited by 33 publications

References 77 publications

Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Improving the IAQ for Learning Efficiency with Indoor Plants in University Classrooms in Ajman, United Arab Emirates

Active Botanical Biofiltration in Built Environment to Maintain Indoor Air Quality

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