Benefits > Environmental > Indoor Air Quality

The Problem: Sick Building Syndrome

Indoor air quality has become a huge concern over the past decade.  The EPA has acknowledged indoor air quality as one of the top five environmental health risks.  This is compounded further by the fact that we spend the majority of our time indoors: whether we are in school, at work, or at home.  These indoor environments often emit and harbor harmful particles and vapors that frequently cause what is referred to as "sick building syndrome".  Prolonged exposure to indoor environments often results in occupants complaining about fatigue, headaches, nausea, and irritation- all due to the off-gassing of many common products such as carpeting, household cleaners, and furniture. 

The Green Liver Concept

It is a known fact that plants help to purify the air.  They have been shown to have an uncanny ability to assimilate pollutants; creating a healthier and more productive environment.  This idea is often known as the "Green Liver" concept.  The plants are able to metabolize and detoxify organic compounds that enter their tissues, just as the liver functions similarly in our own bodies.

Plants can assimilate pollutants through two, passive filtration processes: (1) foliar absorption (uptake through the stoma on the leaves) and; (2) through the root system (where beneficial microbial communities, found within the surrounding root media or rhizosphere, aid in pollutant uptake).  The benefits of indoor plant filtration was first popularized by several NASA studies under the direction of Dr. B.C. Wolverton.  Dr. Wolverton demonstrated that many common household plants including philodendron, peace lily, and pothos, were very successful at removing such air pollutants as formaldehyde, benzene, carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxides.  This research provided the catalyst for the use of plants as a tool to help combat poor indoor air quality.

The EcoWall™ Solution:

The EcoWall™ planting system offers an excellent option for the incorporation of plant material into your interior environment.

1. Maximizes the number of plants, and their benefits, that can be supported in a small space.  Vertical gardens decrease the required floor space needed in comparison to conventional planting arrangements. 
   
   
2. The automated irrigation system minimizes the maintenance of watering; resulting in more plants but less work.
   
   
3. Helps to eliminate mechanical filtration
   
   
4. Our inorganic matrix allows for more effective filtration

Passive vs. Active Air Purification

By incorporating plants into your interior design, you are ultimately capitalizing off of the inherit "passive" air purification abilities of those plants.  As long as adequate lighting is provided for photosynthesis to occur, the plants will continually provide their air purification benefits.  Here at EcoWalls, LLC, we are expanding the air purification capabilities of plants by providing customers with an "active" air purification option to our EcoWall™ system.  Prototyping is in the final stages of development and product research is currently being conducted.  This option will allow client's to "actively" pull indoor air into our system where the pollutants will be broken down, mineralized, and utilized by the plants for growth.  Ultimately, this technology will profit from both passive and active air purification techniques, thus utilizing the EcoWall™
as a biologic air filter.

Category	Air Pollutant	Source
Particles	Respirable particles	Dust, soot, smoke particles, aerosols
	Tobacco smoke	Tobacco products
	Asbestos	Insulation, acoustic material, floor tiles
	Allergens	Pet dander, dust, pollen
	Pathogens	Mold, bacteria
Vapors and Gases	Carbon monoxide	Combustion products from grills, kerosene heaters, vehicle exhaust
	Nitrogen oxides
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)	Formaldehyde	Many building products such as plywood, fabrics, insulation, furniture, combustion, etc.
	Benzene	Photocopying material, office supplies, cosmetic products, paints, cleaning products, tobacco smoke, etc.
	Toulene
	Phenols
	Ammonia
	Alcohols
	Pesticides