Living Walls and Vertical Gardens

Upon the return of the first space flights, NASA discovered a high level of toxic volatile compounds in the astronauts’ body tissues. The American spacecraft was mostly constructed of plastic, fibreglass, insulating materials and fire retardants which gradually poisoned the astronauts.

Andrea bio filter

Living Air Filter

The same effect takes place where we live. Many products in our home – carpets, wall paint, plastic products, cleaners, etc can emit VOC’s – volatile organic compounds.  A wooden table will have an off gas of pentachlorophenol from its’ fungicides while paint emits trichlorethylene from its from its binders (listed N 2 in the carcinogenic substances). Formaldehyde (listed as a “defniite carcinogenic” by the World Health Organization) comes from fumes from plastic furniture, glues, insulating materials, cleaning products, etc.

Air purification test in lab study

Andrea - by Matthieu Lehanneur in collaboration with David Edwards from Harard University – is one potential solution. Andrea won Best Invention Award from Popular Science in the US. by acting as a living air filter or bio filter. It doesn’t just take the polluted air and send it outside. It actually absorbs the pollutants from the air through its leaves as well as the microbes on its roots. The plants in Andrea are selected due to their ability to absorb the toxic compounds. It uses Philodendron, spathiphyllum, gerbera, pothos and chlorophytum.