1. Botanical filters for the abatement of indoor air pollutants.
- Author
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Montaluisa-Mantilla, María Sol, García-Encina, Pedro, Lebrero, Raquel, and Muñoz, Raúl
- Subjects
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AIR pollutants , *INDOOR air quality , *INDOOR air pollution , *VENTILATION , *AIR purification , *AIR quality , *LITERATURE reviews - Abstract
Nowadays, people spend 80–90% of their time indoors, while recent policies on energy efficient and safe buildings require reduced building ventilation rates and locked windows. These facts have raised a growing concern on indoor air quality, which is currently receiving even more attention than outdoors pollution. Prevention is the first and most cost-effective strategy to improve indoor air quality, but once pollution is generated, a battery of physicochemical technologies is typically implemented to improve air quality with a questionable efficiency and at high operating costs. Biotechnologies have emerged as promising alternatives to abate indoor air pollutants, but current bioreactor configurations and the low concentrations of indoor air pollutants limit their widespread implementation in homes, offices and public buildings. In this context, recent investigations have shown that potted plants can aid in the removal of a wide range of indoor air pollutants, especially volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and can be engineered in aesthetically attractive configurations. The original investigations conducted by NASA, along with recent advances in technology and design, have resulted in a new generation of botanical biofilters with the potential to effectively mitigate indoor air pollution, with increasing public aesthetics acceptance. This article presents a review of the research on active botanical filters as sustainable alternatives to purify indoor air. [Display omitted] • Indoor air pollution is associated with detrimental public health problems. • Active botanical filters are an effective biotechnology for indoor air purification. • NASA initially proposed botanical systems to cope with indoor air pollutants. • Well-designed botanical filters effectively purify indoor air at low operating cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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