| Air pollution is a problem present in the majority of the built environments. Ambient air pollution is consisted by many different pollutants which, depending on their concentration in the air, can have a severe impact on human health with long-term implications, and they can also deteriorate the surfaces of the buildings they come in contact with. Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) is amongst them. It is a pollutant that tends to exceed the allowable levels and that can have a severe impact on human health, as it is able to penetrate deep into the human respiratory system. Ambient air pollution is directly connected with Indoor Air Quality through infiltration and ventilation. In order to ensure good Indoor Air Quality and user comfort, the air introduced indoors needs to comply with specific standards. Air-pollution control doesn't address the issue of pollutants already in the atmosphere, and for reducing those; other filtration methods need to be applied. These practices can be energy consuming, especially when there is not proper maintenance, and sometimes even not as effective as expected. Bioremediation is a procedure based on biological processes, for filtering pollutants from air, soil or water, using living organisms. Phytoremediation is the specific process of filtering pollutants through the metabolism of plants. The use of vegetation on facades is being increased due to their many benefits for the building (shading, insulation). Since the building envelope is the part of the building that is in constant contact with the ambient air, the question that rises is whether a vegetated façade can be used as a filtration medium for ambient and indoor air. For testing this hypothesis, an environmental chamber was built, based on the testing method of conventional filters, to determine whether the process of phytofiltration, a form of phytoremediation, can provide efficient filtration for a specific pollutant, Particulate Matter 2.5. |
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