Air purification

The effect of a plant

A plant or moss needs a number of substances to grow. These include CO2, nitrogen, water and nutrients that are absorbed through the roots. In the leaves of the plant are stomata through which the plant can breathe and bad substances can turn into good. In this way, it can absorb CO2 from the air and convert it into oxygen and sugars via a chemical process. Plants that purify the air are therefore extremely important for our environment as they supply the oxygen that we depend on. In addition to CO2, plants also absorb a lot of other substances such as benzene, toluene, acetone, ammonia, alcohol, etc. They can also bind particles in the dust, which reduces the concentration of many substances in the air. These chemicals are mainly released in the interior by furniture, paint, toners, floor coverings, wall coverings, cigarette smoke, air fresheners, etc. The more plants, the more pure air. However, because space is limited in-house, we work with vertical plant walls or moss walls; for the largest possible green area and for an efficient effect.

How do moss walls reduce bad substances in the air?

Moss walls act as a large, green sponge. In the cell tissue of the plants (reindeer moss or Cladonia stellaris) there are hollow membranes and spaces that store VOCs and dust, which is attracted by the electrostatic bio-polymer coating with which the mosses are put into hibernation. The moss wall thus stores huge amounts of bad substances. In a ventilated room, these substances are degraded naturally and removed as positive substances. If ventilation is limited or not an option and the air is too polluted, a moss wall will become saturated and the positive effect will be reduced. The larger the area, the better the result. The advantage of a moss wall is of course also the aesthetic, sound-absorbing and fire retardant effect. Moss walls can also be used on the ceiling, which can be beneficial if there is a shortage of space in the relevant rooms.

Although plants and moss walls have a proven air purifying effect, several studies have shown that this effect can be supplemented and reinforced in practice with technological methods such as air purification. Air purifying plants and absorbent moss walls are therefore the ideal solution to improve indoor air quality under normal circumstances. It has also been proven that they contribute enormously to the comfort feeling, our well-being and our productivity. We associate nature with pure air.

The importance of ventilation or air purification in combination with nature

The indoor air in the house is often dirtier than the outside air. A lot of air pollution therefore comes from inside the home, for example from cleaning products, household appliances, paint, materials from building materials, etc. Working on healthy indoor air is therefore very important. Although air-purifying plants and absorbent moss walls can contribute significantly, this is not enough for healthy air in highly polluted situations. For more good air quality in the home, more is needed. The most effective air purification method continues to be ventilation and active purification, in combination with the positive impact of green and nature on our psychological well-being. Read more about air purification, projects and technology on our website: AtmossfAIR.be 

Every houseplant produces oxygen, but not all houseplants have an air purifying effect. However, there is a group of room plants that have been scientifically proven to contribute to cleaner air in the home. These plants absorb harmful substances from the air through their leaves. Then these substances are stored and broken down in the plant or the root.

In the well-known Clean Air study, NASA investigated the best ways to study the air in a space station. For example, the researchers discovered that a number of plants, among other things, can extract benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde from the air. Benzene and trichlorethylene are solvents that occur in different materials. Formaldehyde, a known headache reducer, is a gas that is used in the production of leather or carpet and is found in virtually any interior climate. Research was done into the natural air purifying effect of a number of (room) plants. They tested whether these plants could provide a healthier indoor climate to prevent the ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ (SBS). The focus was mainly on well-insulated houses and schools, but of course has an effect on every indoor climate.

The toxic substances that the plants had to remove from the air were benzene, trichlorethylene and formaldehyde, common toxins in the home. The research by NASA resulted in eight tables with plants, and the extent to which these plants remove the aforementioned toxic substances from the air. The results show that all plants purify the toxic substances, but some plants do better than others. It is these plants that we selected for our vertical walls. The toxic substances to be purified also play an important role in the selection.

Classic planting of the Mosmuur Living Wall: