Bench-Study of Green-Wall Plants for Indoor Air Pollution Reduction

Potted-plants have the potential for improving indoor air quality (IAQ), however there has been little research on the performance of green-walls as indoor biofilters. The aim of this investigation was to compare rates of air pollutant reduction with two commonly used indoor species, and to assess the effects of added substrate airflows on the capacity of green-wall modules to remove two prevalent indoor airborne contaminants - particulate matter (PM), and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), using benzene as model. The species tested were Chlorophytum comosum (Spider Plant) and Epipremnum aureum (Pothos). The results showed that each species could significantly reduce increasing doses of PM, with or without augmented substrate airflow, however benzene removal rates decreased with increasing aeration. The findings provide a first assessment of the ability of green-wall plants to reduce indoor air pollution, and responses to two types of pollutant, particulate and gaseous