Recent advances in biological systems for improving indoor air quality

Abstract

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

Effectiveness of plants and green infrastructure utilization in ambient particulate matter removal

“…Very often growing media themselves can reduce air contaminants. Porous materials with increased surface, like activated carbon, zeolite, silica gel and polymers are the most beneficial for pollution capture [ 124 , 125 ].…”

A systematic review on mitigation of common indoor air pollutants using plant-based methods: a phytoremediation approach

“…In addition, benzopyrene can cause infertility in the male reproductive system (Smith et al 2007). Lubricants, varnishes, paint removers, adhesives, typewriter correction fluids, cleaning agents, bleach household products, contaminated waters, and soil are all indoor sources of trichloroethylene (TCE) (Singh et al 2016;Kraakman et al 2021). It is a carcinogenic chemical that can have an acute effect on the central nervous system, reducing sensory capacity; however, long-term exposure can lead to liver, kidney, and bile duct cancer (Campagnolo et al 2017;Pohanish, 2017).…”

Bioprocess intensification: A route to efficient and sustainable biocatalytic transformations for the future

“…The concepts of very thin adhesive nano-porous coatings and printed microstructures of concentrated biocatalysts have only been demonstrated using laboratory model systems. However, these studies show the potential to significantly reduce water and energy use for very largescale bioprocessing of wastewater, gaseous carbon emissions, improving indoor air quality using microbes, or intensifying microalgae and cyanobacteria bioprocesses [50,[64][65][66][67].…”