Volatile organic compounds, SO2 and NO2 capture by means of an indoor active living wall

The ability of an active living wall (ALW) to capture indoor air pollutants was studied. Five different species (Spathiphyllum wallisii, Tradescantia zebrina, Philodendron scandens, Ficus pumila and Chlorophytum comosum) were assessed. The experiments were performed inside a closed glass chamber for...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Fernández Espinosa, Antonio José, Montiel de la Cruz, J.M., Fernández Cañero, Rafael, Pérez Urrestarazu, Luis, Rossini Oliva, Sabina
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2026
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/182749
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/182749
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2026.121856
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:SO2
NO2
Formaldehyde (CH2O)
TVOCs
Vertical greening systems
Indoor air quality (IAQ)
Descripción
Sumario:The ability of an active living wall (ALW) to capture indoor air pollutants was studied. Five different species (Spathiphyllum wallisii, Tradescantia zebrina, Philodendron scandens, Ficus pumila and Chlorophytum comosum) were assessed. The experiments were performed inside a closed glass chamber for each species separately. Gas pol lutants (NO2 and SO2) and volatile organic compounds (formaldehyde, acetone, n-hexane and n-heptane) were introduced into the chamber monitoring concentration changes. High values of the Pollutant Reduction (PR%) indicator were recorded after releasing pollutants in the chamber, especially for CH2O and SO2. After 24 h, PR% in the chamber ranged 96-98% for all the plant species studied. The ALW was more efficient in removing CH2O and NO2 than other air contaminants. In addition, differences in Differential Reduction Efficiency (DRE%) in dicator were observed among plant species depending on the pollutant considered. After 15 min from the in jection of TVOCs, a reduction of 24-40% was achieved with all plant species but S. wallisii showed greater DRE for NO2, with 60% reduction in the first hour of exposure. The presented data demonstrates the effectiveness of active living wall systems for improving indoor air quality