Reducing indoor air pollution through applied botanical biofiltration

Increasing urban populations and behaviour associated with urban lifestyles has led to an increase in awareness of indoor environmental quality, especially maintenance and control of indoor air quality (IAQ). Potted plants, and more recently green walls, within indoor spaces, have increased in popularity in recent decades, not only for their aesthetic value but more recently for their proposed IAQ improvement potential. However, limitations are associated with the rate at which potted plants remove pollutants, rendering their practical efficiency negligible. Recent developments have fused the removal mechanisms of the plant foliage with biofiltration technology to create active green walls (botanical biofilters), which have proven to be an efficient means for the removal of gaseous pollutants. This article will provide; real-world examples of current in situ implementations of phytosystem technology, including laboratory prototypes, that demonstrate significant pollutant removal. Further, the synergistic plant-microbe interactions for air phytoremediation, with considerations related to the release of harmful microorganisms associated with indoor plants will be addressed. Finally, opportunities for enhanced phytoremediation by stimulation of plant-microbe interactions, from simple and practical steps to advanced genetic manipulations will be explored.