Active living wall for particulate matter and VOC remediation: potential and application

Particulate matters (PM) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are the sources of toxic substances that hurt human health and can cause human carcinogens. An active living wall was applied to reduce PM and VOC contamination, while Sansevieria trifasciata cv. Hahnii, a high-performance plant for VOC removal, was selected to grow on the developing wall and used to treat PM and VOCs. The active living wall operating in a 24 m(3) testing chamber showed the ability to remediate more than 90% PM within 12 h. The VOC removal can be approximately 25-80% depending on each compound. In addition, the suitable flow velocity of the living wall was also investigated. The flow rate of 1.7 m(3) h(-1) in front of the living wall was found as the best inlet flow velocity for the developed active living wall. The suitable condition for PM and VOC removal in the active living wall application on the real side was presented in this study. The result confirmed that the application of an active living wall for PM phytoremediation can be an alternative effective technology.