Testing the single-pass VOC removal efficiency of an active green wall using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)

Torpy, F; Clements, N; Pollinger, M; Dengel, A; Mulvihill, I; He, C; Irga, P

Testing the single-pass VOC removal efficiency of an active green wall using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)

Torpy, F

Clements, N Pollinger, M Dengel, A Mulvihill, I He, C Irga, P

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 2018, 11 (2), pp. 163 - 170
Issue Date:: 2018-03-01

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Torpy, F https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9137-6948	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Clements, N	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Pollinger, M	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Dengel, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Mulvihill, I	en_US
dc.contributor.author	He, C	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Irga, P https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5952-0658	en_US
dc.date.available	2017-09-18	en_US
dc.date.issued	2018-03-01	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health, 2018, 11 (2), pp. 163 - 170	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	1873-9318	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/125216
dc.description.abstract	© 2017, The Author(s). In recent years, research into the efficacy of indoor air biofiltration mechanisms, notably living green walls, has become more prevalent. Whilst green walls are often utilised within the built environment for their biophilic effects, there is little evidence demonstrating the efficacy of active green wall biofiltration for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations found within an interior environment. The current work describes a novel approach to quantifying the VOC removal effectiveness by an active living green wall, which uses a mechanical system to force air through the substrate and plant foliage. After developing a single-pass efficiency protocol to understand the immediate effects of the system, the active green wall was installed into a 30-m3chamber representative of a single room and presented with the contaminant 2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone; MEK), a VOC commonly found in interior environments through its use in textile and plastic manufacture. Chamber inlet levels of MEK remained steady at 33.91 ± 0.541 ppbv. Utilising a forced-air system to draw the contaminated air through a green wall based on a soil-less growing medium containing activated carbon, the combined effects of substrate media and botanical component within the biofiltration system showed statistically significant VOC reduction, averaging 57% single-pass removal efficiency over multiple test procedures. These results indicate a high level of VOC removal efficiency for the active green wall biofilter tested and provide evidence that active biofiltration may aid in reducing exposure to VOCs in the indoor environment.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	Air Quality, Atmosphere and Health	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1007/s11869-017-0518-4	en_US
dc.title	Testing the single-pass VOC removal efficiency of an active green wall using methyl ethyl ketone (MEK)	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	2	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	11	en_US
utslib.for	1117 Public Health And Health Services	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology/School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Life Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CTWW - Centre for Technology in Water and Wastewater Treatment
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	2	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	11	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017, The Author(s). In recent years, research into the efficacy of indoor air biofiltration mechanisms, notably living green walls, has become more prevalent. Whilst green walls are often utilised within the built environment for their biophilic effects, there is little evidence demonstrating the efficacy of active green wall biofiltration for the removal of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at concentrations found within an interior environment. The current work describes a novel approach to quantifying the VOC removal effectiveness by an active living green wall, which uses a mechanical system to force air through the substrate and plant foliage. After developing a single-pass efficiency protocol to understand the immediate effects of the system, the active green wall was installed into a 30-m3chamber representative of a single room and presented with the contaminant 2-butanone (methyl ethyl ketone; MEK), a VOC commonly found in interior environments through its use in textile and plastic manufacture. Chamber inlet levels of MEK remained steady at 33.91 ± 0.541 ppbv. Utilising a forced-air system to draw the contaminated air through a green wall based on a soil-less growing medium containing activated carbon, the combined effects of substrate media and botanical component within the biofiltration system showed statistically significant VOC reduction, averaging 57% single-pass removal efficiency over multiple test procedures. These results indicate a high level of VOC removal efficiency for the active green wall biofilter tested and provide evidence that active biofiltration may aid in reducing exposure to VOCs in the indoor environment.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/125216